UPDATE: He’s not. See this.
Phoenix and Tucson ABC affiliates are reporting that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio will announce today whether he’s running for governor.
No other media outlet has confirmed it, but the AP picked it up and all Phoenix media are running the AP story.
My guess is he won’t. He can’t run Arizona the way he runs MCSO and he’ll have to resign as sheriff in order to run since he’s in the middle of his term. And he really likes being sheriff.
What’s more, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will get to appoint his successor. After seeing what Rick Romley is doing to the County Attorney’s Office after replacing Arpaio ally and enabler Andrew Thomas, who resigned to run for Attorney General, he may be fearful of what a “reform” sheriff might uncover about the near 20-year Arpaio regime.
And if he runs, the effort of his political enemies to get whatever dirt they can about Sheriff Arpaio will be enormous. Brewer, Munger, Mills and Martin will have no choice but to wail on America’s Sheriff if they want to have a chance in the primary.
His running could be either the best or worst thing to happen to Republican chances for holding onto the governor’s office. I’m betting it will be pretty awful, perhaps the foulest Republican primary in recent memory.
If he runs.