It's been more than 20 years since Democrats and Republicans fought a fierce primary election for Maricopa County sheriff.
In 2024, voters on both sides of the political aisle will have a choice for the first time in a long time.
Three candidates are running for the Republican nomination: former Arizona Department of Public Safety and Mesa Police Department chief Frank Milstead, former sheriff's office deputy Jerry Sheridan and former Glendale police officer Mike Crawford.
Sheriff Russ Skinner, who was appointed in February, and former Phoenix police officer Tyler Kamp are running for the Democratic nomination.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is one of the largest in the nation, with more than 3,000 employees, including deputies, jailers and civilians.
The Sheriff's Office patrols the unincorporated areas of the county and cities and towns that do not have their own police forces. It also enforces superior court orders and warrants, collects delinquent taxes, coordinates search and rescue operations, and oversees the county's five jails.
The Arizona Republic spoke with Maricopa County voters and donors to the sheriff's race to find out why they're interested in the office and who they'll support in the primary.
What are voters saying about the Republican primary?
Spike Lawrence, a real estate developer who lives in Chandler, said he donated to Milstead's campaign because he liked the way he ran the state Department of Public Safety.
“Frank has been a trusted police officer his whole life,” Lawrence said, “and highly respected.”
Lawrence said the sheriff election is important to him because he is looking for a safe community in which to invest.
“Safe roads, clean roads, that's what's really important to communities,” Lawrence said, calling public safety a “bipartisan issue.”
George Kuplack, a registered Republican since he was a teenager and now retired living in downtown Phoenix, also supports Milstead because of his experience running the state police.
“I want someone who can focus on the job of being sheriff and not be chasing microphones and cameras,” Kuplack said. “So of the three Republican candidates, I like that Milstead has the ability to work behind the scenes and get the job done.”
vinegarSome voters said they support Sheridan because they believe he would revive tactics used during the administration of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who called himself the “toughest sheriff in America.” Sheridan was once Arpaio's deputy, and the former sheriff endorsed Milstead in this election.
Sheridan has expressed interest in bringing back a barracks-type facility similar to Arpaio's infamous Tent City prison, though he acknowledges that legally that's probably not possible.
“It's been effective because people don't want to go there anymore and they don't commit crimes,” said Annette Younkins, a retired resident of Phoenix's Ahwatukee neighborhood, who said she'll vote for Sheridan in the hope he will bring back a tougher stance on crime.
Emergency physician Glenn McCracken made the donation to Sheridan, saying he's noticed an increase in property crime in his neighborhood and an increase in fentanyl overdoses in emergency rooms.
“Someone has to do something about this, and I think the sheriff's office is really in a position to have an impact,” McCracken said.
McCracken said he believes Sheridan “brings experience to the job,” having worked full-time with the sheriff's office for 38 years, according to his campaign website.
“He's tough on crime, but he's also compassionate,” McCracken said. “I think he has a genuine desire to do the right thing by everybody.”
Sheri Lopez, a Scottsdale resident who runs a human trafficking awareness nonprofit, is endorsing Mike Crawford. She is a trafficking survivor herself, and said Crawford is the only candidate she contacted who she feels is passionate about the issue.
“He shows up, he listens, and he wants to make a difference in that area where no one would pay attention,” she said.
Lopez said sheriff's deputies often participate in law enforcement operations to rescue trafficked children.
She believes Crawford is running for the right reasons and likes his support for using a volunteer force.
Virginia Collis is also a fan of armed police. She is now retired and serves as a precinct committee member for the 12th Legislative District, but she spent several years on patrol with her late husband, who worked for the sheriff's office.
“We trained and qualified every six months,” Collis said of his participation as armed volunteers, which included patrolling shopping malls on foot and working at the Mesa Reception Prison for five years.
She said she would decide on primary day, and she was undecided between Crawford and Sheridan.
What are voters saying about the Democratic primary?
Skinner is running to replace former Sheriff Paul Penzone to fill the full term. A longtime Republican, Skinner switched parties on Oct. 3, 2023, the day after Penzone, a Democrat, announced his retirement. State law requires the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to appoint someone from Penzone's party as his successor.
Kamp previously served as a shift commander, gang enforcement sergeant and homicide detective with the Phoenix Police Department. He is a fifth-generation Maricopa County resident with more than 20 years of law enforcement experience.
Both candidates have sought to portray themselves as apolitical career police officers who put community service first.
Attorney Rana Rashgari, a former Phoenix city prosecutor, said the Maricopa County sheriff wields a lot of power because it is the fourth-largest county in the nation by population.
“It's really important to me that we have a sheriff who has integrity, no criminal record, no scandals or incidents in his past, an honorable reputation and real leadership experience to lead the sheriff's department,” said Rashgari, who has donated money to Skinner and told friends of all political parties to support him.
“I think what sets him apart is that he's not a professional politician. He's a public servant,” she said. “He's well respected by his constituents and he doesn't get caught up in all of the political drama that we're all so tired of, and I really appreciate that.”
Joe Rodriguez, a Maricopa County business owner who donated money to support Kamp's campaign, said the county's reputation is important in creating a positive business climate. “Unfortunately, over the last few years, Arizona has had a national reputation for this sheriff's office, and it hasn't been a good one.”
“Kampf's character and leadership would go a long way to restoring respect for the sheriff's office and the community. He also expressed concern about the ongoing costs to taxpayers due to the sheriff's office's continued failure to comply with federal court oversight measures stemming from a racial profiling lawsuit.”
Melendres' racial profiling lawsuit began in 2008 when Latino drivers filed a lawsuit against the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, then led by Arpaio, alleging that they had been racially profiled. U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow agreed and ordered court oversight of the sheriff's office in 2013. Judge Snow ordered reforms to eradicate racial profiling at the sheriff's office.
Penzone took over the case and its authority when he took office in 2017 after firing Arpaio. He never fully satisfied the suit's requirements during his seven years in office. He lamented ongoing federal scrutiny as one of the reasons he was stepping down. Penzone said the Melendres case was a distraction from other work at the sheriff's office and was “one of the dark clouds that still hangs over this office.”
Because Kamp wasn't part of the agency that incurred those ongoing costs, Rodriguez believes he is the best candidate to lead the department in its efforts to achieve compliance and end the financial burden to the county.
“He has a drive to make positive change and a willingness to address problems in a constructive way,” Rodriguez said. “That's a rare quality in today's political system.”
Mary McGillicuddy of central Phoenix hasn't made up her mind yet.
“In the aftermath of the Joe Arpaio incident, I think it's important to make sure that law enforcement at the county level is doing their jobs respectfully and appropriately,” she said. “It's really important to have a police department and a sheriff that has integrity.”
She said she is looking for candidates who can acknowledge the police department's history of racial profiling and ensure it never happens again.
McGillicuddy is a registered Democrat, but said party affiliation doesn't matter much in an office like sheriff.
“It's about what their priorities are and what they're running for,” she said.
Arpaio's legacy casts shadow over sheriff's race
Arpaio was first elected sheriff in 1992, and despite losing the Republican primary to Penzone in 2016 and to Sheridan in 2020, his accomplishments still loom large over the sheriff's office, particularly his racial profiling cases and policies targeting illegal immigrants.
Raul Pina, a member of the Community Advisory Committee that works with the sheriff's office and federal courts on compliance with the Melendrez Act, is not endorsing any candidate, but he said the community can't go back to Arpaio's ways and people shouldn't support candidates who are aligned with the former sheriff's policies.
“We don't want to take that path because it would have dire consequences,” Pina said, “and it could potentially undo all the progress we've made and bring even more scrutiny of the courts.”
Salvador Reza, an Indigenous rights activist in Phoenix, said he plans to leave his ballot blank.
“None of them are ideal to me,” Reza said, noting that some of the candidates have connections to Arpaio's work or have worked for him. “I don't trust any of them.”
Republican candidate Sheridan leads in fundraising
Sheridan led the sheriff's race by a wide margin in fundraising.
As of July 26, Sheridan reported raising more than $340,000, more than his two Republican primary opponents combined.
Milstead reported raising more than $169,000 in total, while Crawford raised more than $150,000.
Sheridan has raised more money than both Democratic candidates combined.
Skinner reported raising more than $124,000, while Kampf raised more than $80,000.
Despite having spent the most on the race, Sheridan still had over $50,000 left in his bank account, Crawford reported having over $52,000 cash on hand, and Milstead provided receipts showing he had spent most of his funds and had just over $12,000 left.
Kamp, who raised the least amount of money among the sheriff candidates, still reported having more than $56,000 in cash and spending just $23,000. Skinner reported having more than $5,000 left.
Contact the reporter inquiry.
