'Toughest sheriff' stumps in OC sheriff's race

By The Associated Press
Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 11:28 a.m.

ANAHEIM, Calif. β€” The self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff in America" has been invited to stump for a challenger's bid to be Orange County's next sheriff.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is known for cracking down on illegal immigration and making inmates wear pink underwear and assigning them to chain gangs. He will give a speech Thursday afternoon at a fundraiser for former Orange County sheriff's Lt. Bill Hunt.

Hunt says he admires Arpaio's leadership on immigration issues in Arizona but would approach the issue differently in Orange County. He says he would work closely with Border Patrol and continue checking inmates' immigration status.

Hunt will challenge Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens in June. He lost a bid for the department's top job in 2006.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009 ... iffs-race/