New polling shows that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is running behind Democratic challenger Paul Penzone. Arizona Republic reporter Rebekah Sanders will discuss whether recent cases against Arpaio are impacting his re-election bid.
TED SIMONS: GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON."I AM TED SIMONS.ATTORNEYS FOR MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO WERE BACK IN COURT OVER A HEARING ON THE WORKPLACE RAIDS.THE SUIT WAS FILLED BY PUENTE ARIZONA, THE CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP THAT CLAIMS THE SHERIFF'S USE OF LAWS USED TO DOCUMENT WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. SHERIFF ARPAIO HAS DONE OVER 180 RAIDS AND WE ARE HERE TO ASK FOR AN INJUNCTION SO HE CAN NO LONGER DO THEM.THE TERROR AFFECTED 800 PEOPLE DETAINED AND DEPORTED FROM THE RAIDS AND CREATED TRAUMA FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY NOT KNOWING IF THEIR LOVED ONES WOULD COME HOME.
TED SIMONS: ARPAIO'S ATTORNEY SAY THE LAWS SERVE THE COMMUNITY BY PROTECTING VICTIMS OF IDENTIFY THEFT.A NEW POLL IS SHOWING ARPAIO IS TRAILING CHALLENGING PAUL PENZONE BY TEN POINTS.HERE TO TALK ABOUT ARPAIO'S POLITICAL FUTURE IS REBEKAH SANDERS, WHO COVERS MARICOPA COUNTY FOR THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC. THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
SANDERS: THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
TED SIMONS: TRAILING BY 10 POINTS?
SANDERS: IT IS THE BIGGEST GAP WE HAVE PERHAPS EVERY SEEN.IT IS QUITE SURPRISING TO SEE THE DEMOCRAT, PAUL PENZONE, IN THE LEAD THIS FAR.
TED SIMONS: THE POLL WAS DONE BY SHERPA PUBLIC AFFAIRS.WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THIS?
SANDERS:
IT IS RUN BY GIBSON MCKAY WHO IS A REPUBLICAN CONSULTANT OUT OF THE VALLEY AND HE IS PRETTY WELL ESTABLISHED ALTHOUGH I HAVE NEVER SEEN A POLL FROM HIM.I ONLY KNOWN HIM AS A CONSULTANT. IT IS A LITTLE UNUSUAL HOWEVER WE ARE SEEING POLLS THAT CONSULTANTS ARE RUNNING ‘CAUSE THEY GET THE PUBLICITY OUT OF IT AND IT'S INTERESTING AND WE WRITE STORIES ABOUT IT.
TED SIMONS: HE USED TO WORK WITH JOHN MCCAIN?
SANDERS: YEAH, HE HAS A CONGRESSIONAL BACKGROUND AS WELL AS A VARIETY OF OTHER GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS EXPERIENCE.
TED SIMONS: THIS IS A SNAPSHOT AND WAS THIS BEFORE OR AFTER THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT'S ANNOUNCEMENT TO GO AHEAD WITH THE CRIMINAL CHARGES.
SANDERS: THAT IS WHAT IT IS INTERESTING.IT WAS BEFORE THE ANNOUNCEMENT THE CRIMINAL CHARGES WERE INTENDED TO BE FILLED. AND SO YOU WOULD PERHAPS CONCLUDE IF THE POLL WERE TAKEN TODAY IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE WORSE. HOWEVER THE OPINION OF ARPAIO IS PRETTY BAKED IN MY NOW FOR MOST FOLKS IN THE VALLEY.
TED SIMONS: YOU KNOW IT IS PRETTY BAKED IN BUT I STILL FIND IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO BELIEVE. I CAN SEE HIM TRAILING TEN POINTS?
SANDERS: THAT IS REALLY WHAT POPPED OUT TO ME, TOO.OF COURSE IT IS A FAIRLY SMALL SAMPLE, FAIRLY HIGH MARGIN OF ERROR AND IN FACT BECAUSE OF THE MARGIN OF ERROR IT IS WITHIN THAT MARGIN. RIGHT SO YOU COULD SAY IT IS A STATISTICAL DEAD HEAT ESSENTIALLY.BUT, I THINK WHEN YOU COMBINE IT WITH THE POLLING THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, INCLUDING AN ARIZONA REPUBLIC POLL THAT SHOWED ARPAIO UNFAVORABLE AT QUITE HIGH NUMBERS.WHAT YOU ARE SEEING PROBABLY THE SHERIFF'S TOUGHEST RACE EVER.
TED SIMONS: SOME INTERESTING TIDBITS OUT OF THIS POLL, HE IS LOOSING AMONG MEN 55 TO 38?
SANDERS: AND ALSO AMONG THE OLDER VOTES THE 55 AND OLDER VOTING CLASS AND THESE ARE BOTH SURPRISING AS WELL. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO MAKE OF THE MALE UNFAVORABILITY.THE OLDER VOTERS, THOUGH, I THINK WHAT IS INTERESTING THERE IS PERHAPS WHAT IS HAPPENING IS THAT THE BASE OF HIS IS TURNING AWAY AND IT IS SAYING, YOU KNOW, WHAT? ENOUGH IS A ENOUGH.PERHAPS IT IS TIME FOR NEW BLOOD.IF YOU ARE NOT LISTENING TO A JUDGE THAT, YOU KNOW THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. BUT AGAIN THIS IS ONE POLL, IT COULD DEPEND ON JUST THE UNIVERSE OF PEOPLE HE TALKED TO.
TED SIMONS: THE OVER 65 CROWD, STILL AHEAD AND BY NINE POINTS.
SANDERS: YOU KNOW WHO TURNS OUT, THOSE OLDER VOTERS.
TED SIMONS: DO YOU THINK POSSIBLY THAT FALLING NUMBRS FOR DONALD TRUMP ARE SEEPING OVER INTO ARPAIO'S RACE?
SANDERS: PERHEPS, I MEAN APRAPIO HAS TIED HIMSLEF TO TRUMP VERY STRONGLY IN FACT DEFENDING TRUMP OF THE VIDEO THAT SURFACED LAST WEEK OF TRUMP'S GROPING COMMENTS.
HE HAS REALLY CHAMPIONED THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE AND IS NOT BACKING DOWN FROM THAT SO THERE MAY BE A SWING THERE BUT I THINK VOTERS IN GENERAL ARE GOING TO EVALUATE CANDIATES ON THAT CANDIDATE THEMSELVES, IT MAY FACTOR IN WHO THEY'RE SUPPORTING BUT NOT A HUGE AMOUNT.
TED SIMONS:WITH ALL OF THIS GOING, HOW IS THE ARPAIO CAMPAIGN RESPONDING? WHAT KIND OF ADS ARE WE SEEING? IS IT STARTING TO GET NASTY OUT THERE?
SANDERS: HE HAS AN ATTACK AD THAT IS GOING AND HAS DRAWN A DEFAMATION LAWSUIT FROM HIS OPPONENT, PAUL PENZONE. IT DEALS WITH A PROTECTIVE ORDER THAT BOTH PENZONE AND HIS WIFE FILLED AGAINST EACH OTHER.WHAT I FIND REALLY INTERESTING AS I TALK TO POLITICAL CONSULTANTS EARLY IN THE CAMPAIGN ABOUT HOW ARPAIO SHOULD PAINT HIMSELF AND THEY SAID USE A POSITIVE MESSAGE.SAY YOU ARE A GUY THAT PEOPLE LIKE TO BE AROUND AND WHO IS LOOKING OUT FOR THE COMMUNITY.WE HAVE THESE ANIMAL ADS GOING OUT ABOUT HIS POSSE THAT, YOU KNOW, USES ANIMALS TO GO COMFORT CRIME VICTIMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND ALSO THE ANIMAL SHELTER.WHO DOESN'T LOVE PUPPIES IN A POLITICAL AD.THEY ARE GOING FOR THAT.
TED SIMONS:AS FAR AS MONEY IS CONCERNED, PENZONE, $290,000 ON HAND AND ARPAIO MUCH MORE.
SANDERS: THAT IS RIGHT. THIS MONEY ADVANTAGE HAS BEEN THERE FOR PRETTY MUCH EVERY RACE HE HAS RUN.SO, THAT IS A DISTINCT ADVANTAGE FOR ARPAIO BUT WE HAVE SEEN HIM SPENDING A LOT TO MAKE THAT MONEY.THE COST TO SEND OUT MAILERS AND SOLICIT THE CONTRIBUTION AND LIKE I SAID, THAT BAKED-IN OPINION, HIS OPPONENT DOESN'T NECESSARILY NEED TO BE AS WELL KNOWN. HE JUST NEEDS TO BE THE OPPONENTTO GET SOME PEOPLE'S VOTE.
TED SIMONS: LAST QUESTION, ARE WE SEEING ARPAIO AND PENZONE OUT? WE SEE THE TELEVISION ADS AND HEAR THE NEWS REPORTS BUT ARE THEY OUT THERE STUMPING?
SANDERS: YES, THEY DEFINITELY ARE.ONE OF THE MOST HIGH PROFILE STUMPING WE SAW RECENTLY WAS WHEN DONALD TRUMP SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, OBAMA WAS BORN IN THE UNITED STATES, I AM NOT GOING TO GO AFTER THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE ANYMORE.ARPAIO HAD A MEETING WITH A SURPRISE TEAPARTY JUST A DAY OR TWO AFTER TO SAY I AM NOT GIVING UP ON THIS AND STILL BE INVESTIGATING THIS AND WE ARE CLOSE TO THE TRUTH.THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY REALLY A GREAT MOTIVATOR TO HIS BASE TO HEAR HE WASN'T BACKING DOWN
TED SIMONS: I WOULD IMAGINE IF IT IS THIS CLOSE AND IT SEEMS CLOSE WE WILL HEAR A WHOLE LOT OF NEWS AND SEE A LOT OF THINGS IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
SANDERS:
AND WITH EARLY BALLOTS GOING OUT NOW, THE DASH IS ON TO GET THE VOTES ROUNDED UP RIGHT NOW.
TED SIMONS: GOOD TO SEE YOU, REBEKAH.THANK YOUS FOR JOINING US.
SANDERS: THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
