Sheriff Joe probably not running for governor

Maybe the Tyrant of Maricopa County just wanted attention

Published May 3, 2010 6:15PM (EDT)

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio speaks to reporters about his 12th crime-suppression operation during a news conference in Surprise, Arizona October 16, 2009. Earlier this month federal officials took away Arpaio's authority to make immigration arrests in the field. Arpaio had been facing criticism from Hispanic activists and lawmakers, claiming his crackdown methods on illegal immigrants involve racial profiling. REUTERS/Joshua Lott (UNITED STATES CRIME LAW POLITICS)  (Reuters)
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio speaks to reporters about his 12th crime-suppression operation during a news conference in Surprise, Arizona October 16, 2009. Earlier this month federal officials took away Arpaio's authority to make immigration arrests in the field. Arpaio had been facing criticism from Hispanic activists and lawmakers, claiming his crackdown methods on illegal immigrants involve racial profiling. REUTERS/Joshua Lott (UNITED STATES CRIME LAW POLITICS) (Reuters)

Last Friday, it was reported that renegade immigrant-rounding-up Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff Joe Arpaio was going to run for governor. I'm not sure why he'd do this -- it looks like the current governor is just as determined to arrest all the Mexicans as a Gov. Arpaio would be -- but he was going to make the announcement today.

Now, the Phoenix Business Journal reports that Arpaio is probably not going to run for governor. But he has already succeeded in being on MSNBC twice today and his name is in many newspapers around the world, so he got exactly what he actually wanted.

(I'd be shocked if Arpaio ever ran for any higher office since he has the power to do almost anything he wants as sheriff. Governors generally can't get away with arresting publishers for annoying them and running unaccredited gulag jails.)

Update: It's official! Arpaio tells CNN's John King USA that he is not running for governor of Arizona. But!

"I don't want to be egotistical, but I could be the governor if I ran," he boasted. "My polls are very high. I got the money. I got the polls. I got the support."

Thus end's Sheriff Joe Arpaio's weekend of unwarranted non-stop media attention.


By Alex Pareene

Alex Pareene writes about politics for Salon and is the author of "The Rude Guide to Mitt." Email him at apareene@salon.com and follow him on Twitter @pareene

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