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Aug 8, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Joe Arpaio loses Maricopa County sheriff's race in second failed comeback

Jacob Knutson
Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, attending a rally in 2018.

Joe Arpaio attending a rally in 2018. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Cal

Joe Arpaio lost the Republican primary on Friday in his bid for the Maricopa County, Arizona, sheriff’s post that he previously held for 24 years before being voted out in 2016, AP reports.

Why it matters: It was Arpaio's second attempt to return to politics. He tried and failed to run for the U.S. Senate in 2018, after President Trump in 2017 pardoned his conviction of criminal contempt of court.

The big picture: Voters nominated Arpaio’s former chief deputy, Jerry Sheridan, who has promised to revive some of Arpaio’s policies, according to the New York Times.

  • Come November, Sheridan will face off against Sheriff Paul Penzone, the Democrat who unseated Arpaio in 2016.
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