PHOENIX — The self-proclaimed toughest sheriff in America breezed past two challengers to win a sixth term as Maricopa County sheriff after facing his most bruising political challenge.
Republican Joe Arpaio easily beat Democrat Paul Penzone and independent Mike Stauffer.
Although Arpaio held a double-digit edge over his challengers, metro Phoenix's longtime sheriff faced heavy criticism that he has focused too heavily on investigations that bring him publicity and ignored many of the law enforcement duties he was hired to do.
The 80-year-old sheriff, who vowed to run for a seventh term in 2016, told supporters that he would reveal his emotions on the bruising race to only his wife, Ava.
"I am going to get it off my shoulders, some of the nasty situations that occurred during this campaign," Arpaio said.
The themes of cracking down on crime and illegal immigration have been popular with voters in the past, but that narrative was turned against him this year.
The county to the immediate south of metro Phoenix re-elected Republican incumbent Paul Babeu. The two-term Babeu defeated Democrat Kevin Taylor and independent Ty Morgan in the Pinal County sheriff's race.
Babeu was forced to acknowledge he is gay after stories emerged of a falling out with a former lover and shirtless photos of him on a gay dating website came to light. Babeu pulled out of the race for a congressional seat after the news broke.
Arpaio wasn't immediately available for comment Tuesday night.
Arpaio has been dogged by revelations that his office failed to adequately investigate hundreds of sex-crimes cases — including dozens of alleged child molestations — and allegations that his deputies have racially profiled Latinos in his trademark immigration patrols.
The sheriff's office reopened more than 400 sex-crimes cases that were reported to the agency but were inadequately investigated or not investigated at all after they were reported over a three-year period ending in 2007.
A city that had contracted with Arpaio's office for police services had concluded there were many cases in which sheriff's investigators wrote no follow-up reports, collected no additional forensic evidence and made zero effort after the initial report of the crime was taken. The city concluded some cases were no longer viable, in part, because victims had either moved away or otherwise moved on.
The sheriff's has said it has moved to clear up the inadequately investigated cases and have taken steps to prevent the problem from happening again.
Penzone, who tried to capitalize on the criticism of Arpaio's success as a law enforcement leader, told supporters Tuesday night that Arpaio's lead was going to be hard to overcome.
"Unfortunately, it didn't work out in our favor," Penzone said.
While the sheriff's immigration enforcement has made him popular among some voters, it has led to two lawsuits that alleged racial profiling in his immigration patrols.
A federal judge heard of one of the lawsuits this summer and hasn't yet issued his ruling. The lawsuit filed by a small group of Latinos will serve as a precursor for a similar yet broad civil rights lawsuit against Arpaio by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Juggernaut8000 posted at 12:48 pm on Sat, Nov 10, 2012.
The only thing we will reap is less illegals in this state and a Sheriff with a set of balls.
doc10250 posted at 6:18 am on Thu, Nov 8, 2012.
I'm very disappointed in you Maricopa County Voters. You have the information and reasons to correct this dreadful mistake, and you failed to do so. You will definitely reap what you have sewn. Instead of being objective, you once again drank the kool aid and sold all of our collective souls to a corrupt politician. I hope you are happy with yourselves, because I most certainly am not!
Ateam1 posted at 3:45 pm on Wed, Nov 7, 2012.
xyno; You sure seem to know a lot about pedophiles,HMMM Just makes one wonder,doesnt it?[tongue]
xyno posted at 10:16 am on Wed, Nov 7, 2012.
Our joke of a sheriff won the vote because of all of the old pedophiles that have move here from the mid-west[censored]
Juggernaut8000 posted at 5:49 am on Wed, Nov 7, 2012.
This is some very good news in the wake of tragic news that the traitor-president has been re-elected. I am very glad Arpaio is here for another four years and hope he rids this fair State of each and every illegal immigrant.
And try to deport Phxvato while you are at it Sheriff...Please.
Masterrogue666 posted at 5:46 am on Wed, Nov 7, 2012.
Obama bought his election by granting amnesty to those that do not deserve it, and bailing out the auto manufactoring companies (with the rest of the USA citizens paying for it). So, in each case, he's helped the minority, at the cost of the majority. He also has done nothing the secure our southern border expect to CLAIM it's secure.
Sheriff Joe serves the majority, and enforces the laws that exist. Unlike Obama, he doesn't ignore what the majority wants, and has no need to make an executive order in order to curry votes....
DiegoDeLaVega posted at 4:26 am on Wed, Nov 7, 2012.
Unbelievable. I guess there's a reason it's a "red" state.
one of the last posted at 2:42 am on Wed, Nov 7, 2012.
The Childen and Parents of Children in this County Beware. The Child molesters are rejoicing. Their protector is still Shariff
Leon Ceniceros posted at 10:58 pm on Tue, Nov 6, 2012.
HERE WE GO AGAIN WITH THE .....ANONYMOUS....ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTER AND HE/SHE/IT'S........."YELLOW JOURNALISM"
HE/SHE/IT.....GET OVER IT.....SHERIFF JOE WON FOR THE 6TH TIME.
THE "TOUGHEST SHERIFF" IN AMERICA MADE ALL THE LIBERAL-LEFT...TV AND NEWSPAPER REPORTERS, GURU'S AND EDITORS......EAT CROW FOR THE SIXTH TIME............GOD BLESS OUR MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF, JOE ARPAIO, WHO "UP-HOLDS" THE LAWS OF AMERICA...INSTEAD OF DOING AN "END-RUN" AROUND THEM LIKE OBAMA.