In a political maneuver that's raising eyebrows across Maricopa County, three sheriff's office hopefuls have switched their party affiliation from Republican to Democrat in the wake of ex-Sheriff Paul Penzone's departure, according to azfamily.com. Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo flagged the trio's late affiliation change as a ploy to be considered for the sheriff's seat, stating they are attempting to "game the system" and critiquing their actions as "disingenuous" with the public.
The three candidates, who only recently became Democrats, were looking to fill the vacancy left by Penzone, who himself removed the infamous Joe Arpaio from the position; Penzone during his tenure eradicated Arpaio's "tent city" and called for the end of a controversial "circus". These moves, and more, were highlighted as part of his legacy in a recent interview covered by azfamily.com. Despite Penzone's efforts to remake the department, he bemoaned never truly having full control of his office, due to oversight by a federal monitor and expressed frustration over the DOJ's handling of local law enforcement.
The law allows for this political pivot before attempting to fill a vacated office, and it does not prevent the newly minted Democrat from returning to their previous party if appointed; the recent shifts include candidates such as Russell Skinner, Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy, who was a Republican for nearly 37 years before his conversion, alongside others like Kenneth Booker and Jeffrey Kirkham who also made the switch following Penzone's announcement. Skinner, having taken the department's helm temporarily, declined to comment on the ongoing selection process but assured continued leadership alignment with the public safety mission of the office.
Penzone, who left office a year before his term concluded, discussed his journey through the ranks of law enforcement and his administration's battles with federal oversight which he believed over-extended into wasteful territory, with Arizona's taxpayers footing a bill exceeding a quarter of a billion dollars for a vacant office building; the former sheriff has taken his battle against a civil contempt charge to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, complaining about the overwhelming compliance demands contrasted against the real public safety discourse he feels has been sidelined. The future leadership of Maricopa County's law enforcement remains uncertain as these developments unfold, with the contentious party-flipping of candidates adding fuel to an already complex debate over the direction and control of policing in the area.
