The sheriff of metropolitan Phoenix has raised close to $10 million in his bid for a seventh term, a stunning collection of campaign riches for a local police race, and much of it was contributed by a devoted base of backers who live outside Arizona.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s fundraising far exceeds the amount normally spent by both the winning and losing candidates in a typical congressional race.
“Most people would think that you mistakenly added a zero to that number,” said Heath Brown, a public policy professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York who studies the role of money in politics.
The 84-year-old sheriff is facing the toughest campaign of his career. His political strength has gradually slipped over the past four election cycles, but loyal local supporters and impressive fundraising have helped him pull out wins.
Waning popularity isn’t Arpaio’s only challenge. The lawman who cultivated a national reputation for being tough on accused criminals is at risk of being charged in a contempt-of-court case. A judge is considering whether to recommend criminal charges against the sheriff for ignoring court orders in a racial-profiling lawsuit.