Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, whose congressional campaign took a hit when he disclosed that he was gay amid allegations that he threatened a former Mexican boyfriend with deportation, dropped out Friday, opting to run for re-election as sheriff instead.

It’s going on eight months since Pinal County Sheriff’s Deputy Louie Puroll reported being shot by smugglers while patrolling alone, out of uniform and without a radio, in the Vekol Valley west of Casa Grande. An area Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu has repeatedly said is controlled by Mexican drug cartels. 

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu will speak at a Gilbert Republican Women meeting next week.

Should the Legislature spend $1.4 million for life saving transplants, or $5 million for Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu? Gourmet coffee is indeed expensive.

Lawyers for a Mexican immigrant who had a romantic relationship with Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu denied allegations that their client hacked into online accounts for Babeu’s congressional campaign.

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu says a six-month investigation into alleged misconduct by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has been completed. However, Babeu says his office is prohibited by law from releasing any details of the probe.

Pinal County’s new sheriff has announced his management team.

Losing any local county Sheriff would be significant to regional law enforcement and would shake up the political landscape, since Arizona Sheriffs are usually the heavyweight in their respective county. The death of Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever is far more significant, since he was a leader among elected Sheriffs and clearly helped shape a more reasonable conversation on border security.

The fight to represent a far-flung congressional district could be determined by how Arizonans feel about whether children of illegal immigrants are entitled to U.S. citizenship.

Challenger Paul Babeu leads incumbent Pinal County Sheriff Chris Vasquez with 100 percent of county precincts reporting Wednesday. Babeu led by eight percentage points, according to numbers from the Pinal County Elections Web site.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney paid for automated telephone messages in Iowa accusing rival Rick Perry of contributing to illegal immigration.

Bill Richardson

Pinal County Sheriff-elect Paul Babeu has yet to meet with current Sheriff Chris Vasquez to discuss several county issues, an offer that Vasquez says he extended to his successor following his election win.