Ex-Sheriff Arpaio loses third comeback bid in conservative Ariz. town’s mayoral race

PHOENIX — Joe Arpaio, the 90-year-old former Arizona sheriff who was a once powerful figure in Republican politics but was ousted nearly six years ago amid frustration over his headline-grabbing tactics and legal troubles, was defeated Wednesday in a race for mayor of the a±uent suburb where he has lived for more than two decades.

His defeat in the mayor’s race in Fountain Hills against two-term incumbent Ginny Dickey marks Arpaio’s third failed comeback bid since his 2016 loss after serving 24 years as the sheriff of Maricopa County.

Even though election officials say all votes in Maricopa County have been counted, Arpaio said Wednesday evening he wasn’t conceding the race and instead was going to consult with an attorney to explore whether to challenge the results. “I am not saying

I am going to do it,” Arpaio said of a legal challenge. “I’m not a lawyer. I just want a little information. In today’s environment, a large percentage of the people are not happy with the way the [election] system was working.”

Dickey didn’t respond to a request for comment. The political stakes of running in Fountain Hills, a Republican-heavy town of 24,000, were much lower for Arpaio than when he served as the top law enforcer of a county of over 4 million people.

Arpaio was crushed by a Democratic challenger in 2016 and was convicted the next year of criminal contempt of court for disobeying a judge’s order to stop traffic patrols that targeted immigrants, though he was later pardoned by then-President Donald Trump.