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Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said on Twitter Monday that he plans to run for mayor of Fountain Hills, Ariz. in 2024.
Arpaio, a controversial sheriff who served Maricopa County from 1993 to 2017, ran for mayor in Fountain Hills last year and lost to Mayor Ginny Dickey by 213 votes, 5420 to 5207.
Before that, Arpaio ran for Senate in 2018 and came in third in the Republican primary. Arpaio then ran to regain his sheriff position in 2020, losing the Republican primary to Jerry Sheridan, who eventually lost the general election to Democrat Paul Penzone.
Arpaio was once a well-known conservative figure who pursued polarizing policies on immigration and criminal justice while sheriff. He was the subject of several controversies during his tenure, including allegations of racial profiling, an investigation into abuse of power and a lawsuit alleging entrapment and wrongful arrest.
Arpaio has not said much about his campaign for mayor since his Monday tweet, but the petition filing period for the position does not open until March 2024, according to the city website.
The city of Fountain Hills is located in Maricopa County, northeast of Phoenix.
Dickey demurred on whether she is running for re-election, writing in an email to NBC News, “Being Mayor of Fountain Hills is a full-time position... one I embrace. I will continue to represent my hometown without the distraction of subjecting our community to a prolonged campaign season by following a reasonable process in terms of a strategy for a municipal election over a year away.”
