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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFormer Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio is back. So too are Latino voters who helped oust him
by Kurtis Lee
Yenni Sanchez had thought her work was finished.
Spared from the threat of deportation by the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, she campaigned to oust Joe Arpaio when he unsuccessfully ran for reelection as Maricopa County sheriff in 2016. She knocked on hundreds of doors in south Phoenixs predominantly Latino neighborhoods to register voters. She made phone calls, walked on college campuses. Her message was direct, like the name of the group she worked with, Bazta Arpaio, a take on the Spanish word basta enough Arpaio.
But now, the 85-year-old former sheriff is back and running for Senate. Sanchez, who had planned to step away from politics to focus on her studies at Grand Canyon University, is back as well, organizing once more. If he thinks he can come back and terrorize the entire state like he did Maricopa County, its not going to happen, Sanchez, 20, said. Im not going to let it happen.
Arpaio enters a crowded Republican primary and may not emerge as the partys nominee, but his bid has already galvanized Arizonas Latino electorate one of the countrys largest and fastest-growing voter blocs.
Organizers like Sanchez, who thought they might sit out the midterm elections, rushed back into offices and started making calls. Social media groups that had gone dormant have resurrected with posts reminding voters that Arpaio was criminally convicted of violating a federal court order to stop racially profiling Latinos.
Weve been hearing, Is it true Arpaio is back? OK, what can we do to help? said Montserrat Arredondo, director of One Arizona, a Phoenix nonprofit group focused on increasing Latino voter turnout. People were living in terror when Arpaio was in office. They havent forgotten.
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http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-pol-arpaio-latino-voters-20180114-story.html#nws=mcnewsletter
former9thward
(32,005 posts)They are negligible in AZ R primary elections. Arpaio lost in 2016 because in that race a large number of Republicans either did not vote or voted for the Democrat. They thought he was too old (which he was) and wanted to move past the controversies. That is why he lost.
In addition Arpaio has no interest in becoming a Senator. He is in the race to take votes from Kelly Ward and allow the GOP establishment candidate, Congresswoman McSally to win.
DonViejo
(60,536 posts)In 2016, Latinos accounted for almost 20% of all registered voters in Arizona. Latinos make up about 30% of Arizonas population.
former9thward
(32,005 posts)The ones that actually vote are between 10% -15% in any given election. But this does not matter since they won't be voting in the R primary anyway.