Will Arizona’s prima donna Sheriff Joe Arpaio run for governor?

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Aging media darling and prima donna Sheriff Joe Arpaio is tantalizing the chattering class with hints that he is exploring a run for governor. Both the Arizona Guardian (subscription required) and the Arizona Republic report that crazy Uncle Joe is price comparison shopping for a company that uses paid petition circulators to qualify candidates for the ballot. Political Insider: Arpaio mulling run for governor:

Arpaio said he was exploring the possibility of determining how much it would cost to hire someone to collect signatures for a petition to get him on the gubernatorial ballot, in case he decides to run.

Arpaio, 77, said the only reason he would not run for governor this year is that he'd be forced to resign as sheriff.

And guess who would name his replacement? None other than the Board of Supervisors.

"I kind of have loyalty to my office after 18 years; do I just leave them hanging and give everything up?" he asked.

The sheriff said he would make a decision by May 1.

May 1? The primary candidate filing deadline is May 26. There are a dozen Republicans who have filed campaign committees, most of them out there actively collecting petition signatures for months now. All the low hanging fruit is gone. Even a professional paid petition circulator company is going to have a difficult time collecting enough valid signatures in a little more than three weeks to qualify crazy Uncle Joe for the ballot.

Then there is the federal grand jury investigation and Justice Department investigation, etc., hanging over crazy Uncle Joe. That didn't stop his side-kick Andrew Thomas from jumping into the race for Attorney General. Political Insider – Federal grand jury probe into Arpaio, Thomas continues

So is Arizona's prima donna Sheriff Joe Arpaio, like Norma Desmond, "ready for his closeup" with Arizona voters?