On Tuesday, the 89-year-old announced his run for mayor through a press release that was posted on his personal Twitter page. On Wednesday, Arpaio stated on Twitter that he’s excited to continue being of service to the citizens of Fountain Hills, Arizona.
“On Oct 5th, I announced my run for Mayor of Fountain Hills, AZ, my home town,” said Arpaio. “In 24 hrs, my decision was reported on Nat/local TV over 51 times, in addition to numerous newspapers & radio. I’m glad to see interest is building in my endeavor to continue to serve the people.”
In his press release, Arpaio echoed similar sentiments regarding his place in Fountain Hills, Arizona.
“I want to directly give something back to my hometown of Fountain Hills, Arizona, which I love, utilizing my life experience and common sense to make Fountain Hills a better place to live,” said Arpaio.
The primary election for the next mayor of Fountain Hills is set to take place on August 4, two months after Arpaio turns 90. If a primary candidate fails to win by a large margin, then a general election will follow. Mayor Ginny Dickey’s current term will run through the end of 2022.
Arpaio has been in the public service sector of Arizona for 56 years. Nicknamed “America’s Toughest Sheriff,” Arpaio served as Maricopa County Sheriff for 24 years before losing in 2016 to Democrat Paul Penzone.
Arpaio made a run for the GOP primary for U.S. Senate in 2018 but he ended up finishing in third place and ultimately losing to Air Force veteran and Republican Martha McSally.
The Republican is well-known for his hard-nosed treatment of detainees that included forcing jail inmates to wear pink underwear and making them sit in tents while triple-digit heat bore down on The Copper State. He also targeted illegal immigration and has been brought up on multiple charges over the years including abuse of power, misuse of funds and criminal negligence, to name a few.
In 2017, Arpaio was convicted of criminal contempt for disobeying a court order in relation to ceasing his long-standing immigration patrols. Arpaio was pardoned by friend and former President Donald Trump.
Trump made an announcement on his now-suspended Twitter account shortly after the pardon took place.
“I am pleased to inform you that I have just granted a full Pardon to 85 year old American patriot Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He kept Arizona safe!” said Trump.
Newsweek has reached out to Arpaio for further comments.
