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Paul Penzone
Paul Penzone (Democratic Party) was the Maricopa County Sheriff in Arizona. Penzone assumed office in 2017. Penzone left office on January 12, 2024.
Penzone (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Maricopa County Sheriff in Arizona. Penzone won in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Penzone won a first term in the general election on November 8, 2016.
Biography
Penzone was born in Trenton, New Jersey. His family moved to Arizona in the late 70s, where Penzone attended Cortez High School. He studied at Glendale Community College and Northern Arizona University. He served as a police officer in Phoenix for 21 years.[2]
Elections
2020
See also: Municipal elections in Maricopa County, Arizona (2020)
General election
General election for Maricopa County Sheriff
Incumbent Paul Penzone defeated Jerry Sheridan in the general election for Maricopa County Sheriff on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Paul Penzone (D) | 55.7 | 1,095,955 |
 | Jerry Sheridan (R)  | 44.2 | 869,748 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 3,355 | ||
| Total votes: 1,969,058 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Maricopa County Sheriff
Incumbent Paul Penzone advanced from the Democratic primary for Maricopa County Sheriff on August 4, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Paul Penzone | 100.0 | 375,970 |
| Total votes: 375,970 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- William Hall (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Maricopa County Sheriff
Jerry Sheridan defeated Joe Arpaio, Mike Crawford, and Lehland Burton in the Republican primary for Maricopa County Sheriff on August 4, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jerry Sheridan | 37.4 | 156,818 |
 | Joe Arpaio | 36.0 | 150,656 | |
 | Mike Crawford | 26.3 | 110,271 | |
 | Lehland Burton (Write-in) | 0.3 | 1,136 | |
| Total votes: 418,881 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Maricopa County held elections for the county board of supervisors, county assessor, county attorney, county recorder, sheriff, county treasurer, and special districts in 2016. The general election was held on November 8, 2016. A primary election was held on August 30, 2016. The filing deadline for those wishing to run in this election was June 1, 2016.[3] Paul Penzone defeated incumbent Joe Arpaio in the Maricopa County sheriff general election.[4]
| Maricopa County Sheriff, General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Paul Penzone |
56.42% | 861,757 | |
| Republican | Joe Arpaio Incumbent | 43.58% | 665,581 | |
| Total Votes | 1,527,338 | |||
| Source: Maricopa County Recorder, "2016 General Election Final Results," accessed November 28, 2016 | ||||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Paul Penzone did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
Penzone's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[5]
Children
- Excerpt: "Under my direction, MCSO will prioritize the safety of our children by investing resources into programs for the their [sic] protection. We will identify, apprehend and prosecute sex offenders who fail to meet their court imposed obligations or act in violation of their terms of release. "
Animals
- Excerpt: "I am absolutely committed to continuing — and enhancing — MCSO’s work protecting animals and supporting the animal-welfare community. I am also committed to improving the living conditions of the animals housed in the M.A.S.H unit."
"Tent City"
- Excerpt: "The current conditions and operational practices within Tent City are unsafe for detention officers and inmates. Tent City is functionally inefficient and fiscally irresponsible. The short- and long-term plans for Tent City will be determined after assessing the current jail capacity, the anticipated inmate population and best practices for incarceration."
Prison reform
- Excerpt: "Our prison system must be reformed. This requires comprehensive improvement in mental health services, substance abuse programs, educational offerings and appropriate post-incarceration opportunities that reduce recidivism."
Fiscal responsibility
- Excerpt: "Once in office, I will initiate a sophisticated audit of the entire budget and existing contracts to identify and remedy operational deficiencies. The lack of sound leadership and pattern of fiscal irresponsibility has proven to be a systematic burden on taxpayers. We will run an efficient, responsible and disciplined organization with fiscal transparency."
Racial profiling
- Excerpt: "The federal court-ordered actions resulting from the Melendres case are clear, concise and must be adhered to. I will implement and commit to institutional oversight, auditing systems and systematic inspections to ensure MCSO becomes an example of law enforcement done right."
Immigration
- Excerpt: "Immigration enforcement is essential for a safe community. Under my direction, we will focus our efforts on the criminal organizations who profit on Human Trafficking, Drug Trafficking and Sex Trafficking. These groups exploit the desperation of others and pose a direct threat to our safety and the well being of our community. We will dedicate resources to investigating, prosecuting and incarcerating these criminals."
Endorsements
2016
Penzone received the following endorsements in 2016:
- Phoenix Police Lieutenants and Sergeants Association
- Jack Harris, Former Phoenix Police Chief
- National Latino Peace Officers Association
- Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Chandler Chamber of Commerce
- Maricopa Area Labor Federation
- Cindy & Mike Watts
- Phil & Juanita Francis
- Grant Woods
- Fred Duval
- Mike Manning
- Danny Ortega
- UFCW Local 99
- Bob & Robyn Anderson
- Rod & Victoria Granberry
- Tom Simplot
- Andrei & Stephanie Cherny
- Mark Harrison
- Vice Mayor Dennis Kavanaugh
- Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothchild
- State Representative Lela Alston
- Felecia Rotellini
- Former Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon
- Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell
- Paradise Valley Mayor Michael Collins
- Avondale Mayor Kenn Weise
- Avondale Councilmember Lorenzo Sierra
See also
2020 Elections
| Maricopa County, Arizona | Arizona | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ AZ Central, "Joe Arpaio already has 4 opponents for Maricopa County sheriff," August 26, 2019
- ↑ Paul Penzone campaign website, "About Paul Penzone," accessed October 10, 2016
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Elections Calendar & Upcoming Events," accessed September 2, 2016
- ↑ Maricopa County Recorder, "2016 General Election Candidate Listing," August 24, 2016
- ↑ Paul Penzone campaign website, "Issues," accessed October 10, 2016
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