Arizona / West

Maricopa's sheriff mulls a new run for governor

PHOENIX - After two false starts, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is again weighing whether to run for governor. The four-term sheriff said Tuesday that his Republican Party has failed to field a candidate who has caught the public fancy. "It's unfortunate that the Republican Party can't seem to find any - I don't want to insult the candidates - but any high-profile candidates (who don't) have to worry about getting (petition) signatures," he said. None of the three main GOP contenders - Don Goldwater, John Greene or Jan Flórez - has come close to incumbent Democrat Janet Napolitano in statewide surveys. Arpaio acknowledged he has been down this path before, in 1998 and again three years ago when he backed away, saying he was "a front-line warrior in the war against crime" and would seek re-election as sheriff. But Arpaio now says that "warrior" background could work in his favor - especially with illegal immigration a top concern for Arizonans.