Arpaio's Long Political Career Ends

Jerry Sheridan is the future hope for Republicans in the Maricopa County election for sheriff this November. He outlasted long-time former Sheriff Joe Arpaio in a closely contested primary this week.At age 87, Arpaio's political career is now officially over.Sheridan won the contest by some 6,200 votes. On election night, the partial tally of votes was much closer than that.Arpaio served as sheriff for 24 years. He began to lose favor with the party's conservative base in the early 2000's when Gilbert Republicans voted to censure him. His then primary foes Tom Bearup, formerly Arpaio's No. 2 man in the sheriff's office, and Dan Saban, accused him of corruption. However, Arpaio fended off those challenges and when President Barack Obama began targeting him, Republicans closed ranks around Arpaio. Eventually the Obama attacks got Arpaio out and Democrat Paul Penzone elected to the office.President Trump pardoned Arpaio for his 2017 criminal contempt of court conviction for disobeying a judge’s order in a racial profiling case.Now Sheridan, a 38-year veteran of the Sheriff's Office who had no ties to the Arpaio court order, will try to re-take the SO for Republicans.