Thread: Joe Arpaio may challenge Jeff Flake for Arizona Senate seat

by Steven Nelson | Aug 28, 2017, 12:01 PM

After receiving President Trump's first pardon, Joe Arpaio's plans have gone from possible prison to book-writing, speeches and potentially another run for office in Arizona, with Sen. Jeff Flake's seat one opportunity he is eyeing.

The former Maricopa County sheriff told the Washington Examiner he's upset at negative reaction to the Friday pardon, and that he feels Republican politicians are insufficiently supportive of the president, who he calls a great man.

"I could run for mayor, I could run for legislator, I could run for Senate," Arpaio said Monday. One particular race, however, is likely to gain significant attention: the GOP primary next year facing Flake, R-Ariz., a forceful Trump critic.

"I'm sure getting a lot of people around the state asking me" to challenge Flake, said Arpaio, who served 24 years as sheriff before losing reelection in 2016. "All I'm saying is the door is open and we'll see what happens. I've got support. I know what support I have."

Arpaio said he swore off another candidacy in January, when he left office, but that "with what I've seen happening in recent months, especially what's happening with our president, I said, 'Hey, why not?'"

Arpaio, who is 85 years old, said people should not scoff at his potential candidacy.

"Why do you say ‘wow'?" he admonished, adding: "They just say Sheriff Joe Arpaio comma 85 years old. Why do they always say that?"

Arpaio said he believes "there is discrimination against senior citizens, big time" and that "I'm proud to be my age. I work 14 hours a day. If anyone thinks my age is going to hold me back, I've got news for them."

"The bottom line is there's no way I'm going to go fishing. I have no hobbies," he said, declining to say how likely he is to seek office.

Flake is facing a re-nomination challenge from former state Sen. Kelli Ward, who is more closely aligned with Trump, but who has been branded a conspiracy theorist by opponents.

Arpaio said he has not spoken with Trump at any point in 2017, and said he also never spoke with Trump during a "cold case posse" investigation by Arpaio's office of President Barack Obama's birth certificate. He and Trump were prominent players in the "birther" movement.

Arpaio was convicted of contempt last month for defying a judge's order that his department not arrest suspected illegal immigrants without suspicion that they committed a state crime. He faced a maximum six months in prison.

The ex-sheriff said he may sue journalists who have called him racist or misreported details of the case against him. He says his attorney is reviewing the possibility and that he was "surprised" by negative reaction to the pardon by Flake and Arizona Sen. John McCain.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/jo...rticle/2632732

As much as I like and respect the former sheriff, I'm not sure how this would work out for us. Splitting conservative votes in a primary between Flake, Ward, and Arpaio may work to Flake's benefit.

Wait just a minute! Look at how the part about challengine Jeff Flake out of the quotes ...

"I'm sure getting a lot of people around the state asking me" to challenge Flake, said Arpaio, who served 24 years as sheriff before losing reelection in 2016. "All I'm saying is the door is open and we'll see what happens. I've got support. I know what support I have."

Saying he might run for the Senate is one thing, jumping in on top of Dr. Kelli Ward in her run against Jeff Flake is another. It think there is a big chance that this Daily Caller writer Steven Nelson is trying to stir the pot here and the suggested run against Flake is Steven Nelson's conjecture.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio jumping into the GOP primary against Jeff Flake would be a complete disaster and highly destructive to the illegal immigration fighting movement that is already lined up behind Kelli Ward in that race.

However, McCain's seat should oppen up soon because the type of cancer McCain has only allows those diagnosed an average of 14 months of life after initial diagnosis.

We would certainly support Arpaio for McCain's seat as long as he did not do anything to hurt Kelli Ward.

Also, more than 8 members of the US Senate are over 80 years old so his age is not a problem when it comes to going to DC.

William

Jeff Flake: Trump Should Have Honored Judicial Process on Arpaio

Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake said Friday that he would have "preferred" that President Donald Trump allow the judicial process to "take its course" instead of pardoning former Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Flake, who has slammed Trump and his policies in recent weeks, took to Twitter:



But two other Arizona GOP members of Congress, Reps. Paul Gosar and Rep. Andy Biggs, praised Trump's decision.

Gosar told John Berman on CNN that the president upheld the "rule of law" in pardoning Arpaio.

"He asked for a jury trial," the fourth-term Gosar said. "From that standpoint, this was railroaded all the way through.

"When you talk about a justice system that was so negligent, the Obama administration set up Joe Arpaio on day one — and that's hardly an application of the rule of law.

"When you politicize the law, forbid the individual from a jury trial, you have got a big problem in the efficacy in regards to the rule of law — the way it is applied."

Biggs said in a statement that President Trump "brought justice to a situation where the Obama administration had attempted to destroy a political opponent.

"Sheriff Joe Arpaio made many enemies in the judicial system, the media, and the left because he enforced laws that the federal government ignored," the first-term Biggs said.

"He did right by the law — even as the political consequences continued to mount.

"America owes Sheriff Arpaio a debt of gratitude and not the injustice of a political witch hunt.

Jeff Flake: Trump Should Have Honored Judicial Process on Arpaio

I like it when ever anti Trump wants they do get it

Originally Posted by MW

As much as I like and respect the former sheriff, I'm not sure how this would work out for us. Splitting conservative votes in a primary between Flake, Ward, and Arpaio may work to Flake's benefit.

I agree. Kelli Ward is already established as a candidate and is currently leading Flake in the polls. Arpaio entering the race would be a disaster!! Flake will end up right back in the Senate, I've seen it happen too many times!