America’s most famous law enforcement official, Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio, may become more famous soon, as a poll tabs him the front-runner in the race for the U.S. Senate seat of Republican Jon Kyl, who announced his retirement last week. The hardliner against illegal immigration said Monday he was "blown away" by the results and he might run,
The Hill reports.
Arpaio is running for a sixth term as sheriff, but that doesn’t preclude him from running for the Senate, he says. "The issue is whether I want to leave this office and go to Washington and try to make a difference there, which I would do if I run and win."
Arpaio says he’s not ready to decide yet. "The door is open right now, but, as I said, I'm campaigning for sheriff and raising that money.” But “I think I could do that job," he says of the Senate position.
The Summit Consulting Group, which is raising money for Arpaio re-election, released rsults of a poll Monday showing he led other possible Republicans candidates for the Senate seat.
The poll found that 21 percent of likely GOP voters would choose Arpaio; 17 percent would vote for Rep. Jeff Flake; 16.6 percent, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth; 12 percent for Rep. John Shadegg; and 6 percent would choose freshman Rep. Ben Quayle.
According to the poll's press release, Arpaio said he was "blown away" by the polling results.
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