October 19, 2008 - 6:07PM
Arpaio raises a lot, spends a little on campaign
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Dennis Welch, Tribune
Sheriff Joe Arpaio this year has smashed all fundraising records for political candidates running at the county level, yet he hasn't tapped much of that money as he seeks an unprecedented fifth term in office.

Rival Saban battles Arpaio for media attention

With a 16-year career in office marked with headline-grabbing antics and a name plastered on nearly everything from deputy squad cars to a helicopter and even a tank, Arpaio doesn't need the type of exposure a full-throttled political campaign can deliver.

For this year, Arpaio has raised more than $500,000, according to the latest campaign finance reports, but has barely spent $100,000 of that. It's not exactly the type of spending voters might expect in such a high-profile race.

Other than a handful of television advertisements, Arpaio has run a very low-key race this year focused mainly on his long record in office and his get-tough - although controversial - policies toward those suspected of living in the country illegally.

"I don't have to pay for the attention," said Arpaio. "You guys in the press hit me all the time. I'm always making headlines."

From local media coverage to glowing profiles in the national media, Arpaio has never had problems getting attention. This year is no different, so as other candidates have to pay to get their message out, Arpaio doesn't.

As far as a formal campaign this year, Arpaio is running on three simple themes, according to the sheriff and his Web site:

He is promising voters to continue to crack down on suspected illegal immigrants. Specifically, he's pledging to continue his illegal immigration sweeps in which his deputies stop drivers for minor violations to check their immigration status.

He's pledging to continue to throw prisoners into Tent City, where the "vacancy sign is always on." Although the Phoenix facility has been controversial over the years, he is promising to keep it up and running.

And he's vowing to continue to crack down on animal abuse. He's even paid for a TV ad promoting his efforts in that area.

It seems this year, as much as ever, Arpaio has been making big news, but not the type he would prefer. The sheriff has been heavily criticized for his financial leadership of the department, the health conditions in his jails, and the Tribune reported a series of stories detailing how response times and other law enforcement services have plummeted since he began his crackdown on suspected illegal immigrants.

As a result, the sheriff's legendary approval ratings - which historically have been in the 70 percentile - have dropped in the low 50s, leaving some political experts to speculate this could be the closest race Arpaio has ever run in a general election.

"I wouldn't bet against him," said Arizona State University pollster Bruce Merrill. "But this could be a narrow victory."

Other than hosting lucrative fundraising events, the sheriff has done very little actual campaigning for office. There have been no stump speeches, no big-time campaign media events and Arpaio has refused to comment on or even debate his Democratic opponent Dan Saban.

"Why should I?" Arpaio said. "I don't have to debate him (Saban). I didn't do it last time and I'm not going to debate him until the media reports everything on his background."

Four years ago, the sheriff defeated Saban, who was then a Republican, in the GOP primary election.

Recently, the Arizona Republican Party paid for an ad attacking Saban. The 30-second spot accused Saban, a former police chief of Buckeye, of lying to government officials and exposing himself to a child. Arpaio has denied coordinating with the GOP on the ads. Arpaio has criticized the press for not reporting on his opponent's background, calling it the "greatest coverup by the media in the history of the United States."

Although Arpaio said the press hasn't treated him any different this year, he's been running a tougher campaign on it than on his opponent. Arpaio is running anti-media ads encouraging readers to throw away their newspapers, an ironic twist for a sheriff who has craved the media spotlight.

Currently, the sheriff has nearly a half-dozen media relations specialists in his office, including one who handles international press calls. Arpaio insists he needs the manpower to communicate with the public.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/128480