Former Arizona sheriff launches Senate campaign

WASHINGTON—Former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio announced Tuesday he’s running for Republican Jeff Flake’s U.S. Senate seat. President Donald Trump pardoned Arpaio last year, sparing him a stint in jail after he was convicted of ignoring a federal court order in a racial profiling case. “I am running for the U.S. Senate from the great state of Arizona, for one unwavering reason: to support the agenda and policies of President Donald Trump in his mission to Make America Great Again,” the 85-year-old tweeted. Arpaio joins a crowded GOP primary race that includes state Sen. Kelli Ward and U.S. Rep. Martha McSally. Flake announced last year he would not seek reelection. Arpaio served Maricopa County as the elected sheriff for 24 years until he lost to a Democrat in 2016. During his tenure, Arpaio built a reputation as a staunch opponent of illegal immigration and drew criticism for his unorthodox policing methods. A judge eventually ruled he racially profiled and detained “persons for further investigation without reasonable suspicion that a crime has been or is being committed.” Neither Flake nor Arizona’s other Republican senator, John McCain, supported Trump’s decision to pardon Arpaio. The Democratic front-runner in the race for Flake’s seat is U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema.