Arizona presidential preferential election results: What they mean
The Arizona Republic’s Sasha Hupka discusses on The Briefing video show the results of Arizona’s primary and what it means for Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
The folks in Fountain Hills who are horrified at the possibility of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio being elected mayor in November may have nothing to worry about.
The next Donald Trump administration — should there be one — could have a high-profile job for the 91-year-old ex-lawman who was convicted of criminal contempt of court then pardoned by Trump in 2017.
Time Magazine published an interview with Trump this week in which he said that as part of his plan to resurrect the grotesque Eisenhower-era “Operation Wetback,” the largest mass deportation of undocumented workers in United States history, he would use local police to help round up and deport those suspected of being in the country illegally.
Trump told Time that he’d use the National Guard and the military, and added, “We’re going to be using local police, because local police know them by name, by first name, second name and third name. I mean, they know them very well.”
Arizona has already tried that. We have the scars to prove it, by way of the state’s infamous Senate Bill 1070 “show me your papers” law.
After that atrocity of a bill pass the Legislature and was signed by then-Gov. Jan Brewer, Arpaio used deputies to run immigration sweeps and traffic stops that eventually led to lawsuits that have, so far, cost Maricopa County taxpayers $250 million.
Courts found the policies and practices of Arpaio’s office to violate the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, as well as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Kari Lake is: Arizona’s new Joe Arpaio
Not that it stopped Arpaio from continuing the raids in violation of a court order. Which led to his criminal contempt conviction. Which led to the Trump pardon.
And which could lead — Hey, why not? — to a BIG role in the next Trump administration.
Deportation Czar, or something like that, a job that would require someone like Arpaio, someone familiar with public policy based on ignoring the law.
Trump is a guy like that. In the Time interview, for example, Trump brushed off the fact that it is illegal to use military force on civilians.
“Well, these aren’t civilians,” Trump said. “They are people that aren’t legally in our country.”
And when he was reminded that a president has no authority over local law enforcement, Trump hinted that he’d encourage cooperation by way of the pocketbook.
“There’s a possibility that some won’t want to participate,” Trump said, “and they won’t partake in the riches.”
Put all that together and it occurs to me that Arpaio’s future position, should he be offered one, could not have the word “czar” in its title.
Trump will already have taken that.
Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.
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The 2026 Arizona Legacy Races in Buckeye, Ariz., are ringing in a new year for futurity horses December 30 – January 6, at the Buckeye Equestrian & Events Center. Formerly known as the MVP Futurity and Greg Olson Futurity, these two races have been a staple in many professional trainers’ schedules for decades. This year, the two events boast $22,000 in added money.
Linzie Lindsey and Fame Dancin Yola claimed the Round 1 win with a 17.577 for $1,959. Barbara Merrill rode TKW Eye Am Tess to the 2D win.
After finishing out of the 1D money in Round 1, Loralee Ward and Dark Honey ran the fastest time of the futurity with a 17.030 to claim the Round 2 win. The duo also earned the Futurity Reserve Championship for $1,652.
Lindsey and Fame Dancin Yola finished second in Round 2 with a 17.164, adding $1,603 to their futurity earnings and claiming the Futurity Championship for another $2,019.
Jenna Duhon and PMC AintSheBeautiful earned the Round 2 2D win. In the 2D Average, it was Estella Martin and Quanahs Kingdom claiming the win.
Round 1 of a very tough Derby went to Jana Bean and Feature This Goodbye with a 17.268. 2025 futurity standout Blissful Version and Lora Nichols finished second in Round 1 with a 17.282, won Round 2 with a 17.032, and claimed the Average win.
“Buddy” and Nichols were in contention for the highest money-earning futurity horse of the previous season, before the cancellation of the last two major events of the season due to EHV-1. By $7 million sire Winners Version, Buddy banked over $300,000 in his futurity year.
Megan McLeod-Sprague and Seis Corona (“Jagger”) were hot off the 2025 National Finals Rodeo. The duo won the Roohide Hot Rod with a 17.004 for $1,368. They also earned the Friday Open 1D win for $1,083.
With the first 16-second run of the weekend, Sherry Cervi and MP Meter My Fame won the Saturday Open 1D with a 16.969.
Rita Cheeney and HP Dash Ta Fairfax ran the only other sub-17-second run of the weekend, with a 16.996 that took the top spot in Sunday’s Open 1D.
Nichols and Buddy doubled down on their derby earnings, placing deep in the Open 1D both days, as well as the Roohide Hot Rod, and Big Time Boss.
Youth competitor Tabitha Dyal also had an outstanding weekend, earning Open 1D money Friday, Saturday, and Sunday aboard Slym Shady. She swept the Youth 1D on Slym Shady and earned Open 1D, Open 2D, and Youth 1D checks on Promise Me Fame Guys and Smooth Operraider. Dyal wrapped up her weekend with several checks in the Big Time Boss.
Authorities say a prominent California agriculture heir is accused of traveling to Arizona to kill his estranged wife amid a bitter divorce, a case now drawing national attention for its cross-state trail and high-profile ties.
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On today’s Digital Pregame Show presented by Little Caesars, J.B Long, D’Marco Farr, and Maurice Jones-Drew preview the Los Angeles Rams’ Week 18 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium. The trio discuss key players to watch, game predictions, and more. Tune in for kickoff at 1:25pm PT on FOX.
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