And the possibility of Arpaio reappearing on the Republican ticket with Trump could further alienate the moderate suburban women and voters of color Democrats need to mobilize to win Arizona for the first time since 1996.
“For younger Latinos, it will make a difference,” said Rep. Ruben Gallego, a Democratic congressman from Phoenix who is Hispanic. “The voters that pushed out Joe Arpaio, those are going to be the ones who do the same thing to Donald Trump in Maricopa County.”
While one top Arizona Republican dismissed Arpaio as a mere “hemorrhoid,” several Republicans in the state argued it would be foolish to think that he could hurt Trump from a down-ballot position. But Arpaio still boasts nearly universal name recognition, a national fundraising network, another forthcoming book — and a strategy that tethers him to the president.
