Maricopa County has elected Jerry Sheridan as its new sheriff. Sheridan, a Republican, won the race, bringing GOP leadership back to the county for the first time since Joe Arpaio's tenure. His rival, Democrat Tyler Kamp, conceded the race and expressed appreciation to his supporters on Twitter, according to FOX 10.
After leading narrowly in early returns, Sheridan pulled ahead of Kamp on Wednesday evening, securing 53.2% of the vote, with Kamp trailing at about 47%. Sheridan has nearly four decades of experience with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, including serving as second in command under Joe Arpaio, whose immigration enforcement tactics were ruled to involve racial profiling, as detailed in a report by AZFamily.
Sheridan, who has a long history with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, was previously criticized for his role in racial profiling, which led to federal oversight. In a debate, he stated, "I never ordered anyone to do anything related to the illegal immigration system, period. End of story." His opponent, Democrat Tyler Kamp, a former Phoenix police lieutenant, faced a sexual harassment scandal. Sheridan will succeed interim sheriff Russ Skinner, who lost to Kamp in the primary, as stated by AZFamily.
