Arizona's firebrand 'Sheriff Joe' is running for Senate

Reuters/Laura Segall

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio announces newly launched program aimed at providing security around schools in Anthem, Arizona, Jan. 9, 2013.

• Former Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio will run for Senate in 2018.
• President Donald Trump pardoned Arpaio last year for violating the terms of a court order in a racial profiling case.

Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona whom President Donald Trump pardoned last year, is running for Senate in the Grand Canyon State.

In an interview with the Washington Examiner, the 85-year-old Arpaio said he intends to run for the seat Sen. Jeff Flake will retire from at the end of the year.

"I have a lot to offer. I'm a big supporter of President Trump," Arpaio said. "I'm going to have to work hard; you don't take anything for granted. But I would not being doing this if I thought that I could not win. I'm not here to get my name in the paper, I get that everyday, anyway."

"Being a U.S. senator is a little different than being the sheriff, because you can do a lot of things in the U.S. Senate, and I have many plans, believe me. It's tough. It's a tough decision," Arpaio added. "But, if you're going to come across that border, you should be arrested and get the consequences of it."

Arpaio, who often made headlines for strict enforcement of the state's immigration laws, was found guilty in 2016 of criminal contempt for violating the terms of a 2011 court order regarding a racial profiling case. A month later, Trump pardoned him.