The Arizona Republic

Arpaio praised, urged to quit Senate race

- Dan Nowicki Arizona Republic USA TODAY NETWORK

A draft Arizona Republican Party resolution would heap praise on former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s long career in law enforcemen­t and GOP politics and then gently nudge him to exit this year’s U.S. Senate race.

A few days ahead of the state GOP’s annual mandatory meeting in Phoenix, Arpaio vowed to stay put in the Aug. 28 Republican primary, where he would face U.S. Rep. Martha McSally of Tucson and former state Sen. Kelli Ward of Lake Havasu City.

Ward’s campaign, which likely would benefit most from Arpaio dropping out, said it did not support and had nothing to do with the resolution language, which The Arizona Republic obtained this week.

“Dr. Ward’s campaign is not urging other candidates to not run but is, instead, laser-focused on expanding statewide support to win the primary and general elections,” said Zachery Henry, Ward’s press secretary. “We are confident that Dr. Ward’s proven track record, compelling message, and broad base of support across Arizona will be what propels her to the U.S. Senate.”

Paul Marchant, a backer of the resolution, on Wednesday confirmed that Ward’s people were not involved in the effort, which he said is aimed at making sure the seat being vacated by the retiring Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., does not go Democratic in November.

“I’m not the author of it. I think I’m the only one willing to put my name on it,” said Marchant, the GOP chairman of Legislativ­e District 12 in the GilbertQue­en Creek area.

Marchant described himself as an Arpaio supporter in the past and stressed that the resolution is not meant as “an anti-Arpaio thing.” But he worries the former sheriff would lose to U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., the frontrunne­r for this year’s Democratic Senate nomination.

Arpaio was ousted in his 2016 reelection bid and was convicted of contempt of court in connection with a federal racial-profiling case. President Donald Trump, a political ally, pardoned Arpaio last year.

Marchant said he fears a replay of Alabama’s recent special election in which Republican­s nominated a deeply flawed candidate in Roy Moore and wound up losing the traditiona­l red state’s Senate seat to Democrat Doug Jones.

“I don’t think that we’re going to get him to drop out of the race with it,” Marchant said of the resolution. “Our objective is to hopefully send a message throughout the state, and possibly throughout the country, to please don’t send millions of dollars into this race . ... Obviously, we don’t think he can win. Ultimately, if in a best-case scenario, he did somehow win the primary and by some miracle can beat Kyrsten Sinema, then we’ve got two 90-year-olds in the Senate.”

Arpaio is 85 and would be 86 by the time he would take office, which would make him the oldest elected freshman senator in U.S. history. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is battling brain cancer at age 81.

The resolution would express gratitude for Arpaio for serving as sheriff from 1993 to 2017 and acknowledg­e his “long and distinguis­hed career in law enforcemen­t” that predated his six terms in elected office.

It also would salute Arpaio for providing “endorsemen­ts and additional aid to other Republican candidates throughout his many years of service.” But it finishes this way: “WHEREAS two well qualified candidates, former state Senator Kelli Ward and U.S. Representa­tive Martha McSally, are in the race for U.S. Senator for Arizona; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Arizona Republican Party expresses its gratitude to Sheriff Arpaio for his many years of service, and respectful­ly urges him to exit the race for U.S. Senator from Arizona.”

After being read the laudatory resolution over the telephone, Arpaio said he wondered why he was the one asked to drop out given “the great resume” it describes.

“I’m a fighter and I’m not going to bow out,” Arpaio told The Republic. “I respect the nice words by whoever said this. They just made my case by including all my background. I want to thank them for giving my history . ... Why don’t the other two drop out? Why me?”

The resolution could be brought up on the floor of Saturday’s annual state GOP mandatory meeting at the Church of the Nations, 6225 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. However, at least 20 percent of state committeem­en, representi­ng at least four counties at the meeting, have to sign on to it. There are 1,245 state committeem­en total.

It’s not clear if the resolution will clear that threshold. The resolution also could be blocked because the state party doesn’t get involved in contested GOP primaries.

“The AZGOP has not received any such resolution with the required signatures for considerat­ion,” said Torunn Sinclair, an Arizona Republican Party spokeswoma­n.

Recent polls put McSally on top of a three-way GOP Senate race, followed by Arpaio and Ward, who appeal to the same sort of conservati­ve voter and appear to be splitting that constituen­cy to McSally’s benefit. But all three leading Republican­s have been running to the right and would welcome a Trump endorsemen­t.

“I’m a fighter and I’m not going to bow out . ... Why don’t the other two drop out? Why me?” Joe Arpaio

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Joe Arpaio

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