In a campaign donation that surely seems unprecedented, liberal billionaire George Soros has donated 2 million dollars to Super PAC, Maricopa Strong, to defeat a local county sheriff.
Known for dropping millions on national elections to boost liberal Democrats eyeing the White House, Soros has focused 2016 on funding local races across the country. More specifically, the liberal booster is working to usher through a broad criminal justice and immigration reform agenda by meddling in county prosecutor and sheriff elections.
Joe Arpaio is at the top of his hit list.
The money donated to unseat Arpaio is his biggest drop yet this election cycle and the only one targeting a sheriff. Soros has also spent several million to elect liberal district attorneys in Houston Texas’ Harris County, Jefferson and Gilpin counties outside Denver, Colorado, and Maricopa County, Arizona.
News of the money drop is the latest in a string of bad news for the embattled sheriff. The latest polls on Arpaio showed him losing by up to 15 points against his Democratic challenger, Paul Penzone. He was also officially charged last month with contempt of court for disobeying orders to stop enforcing civil immigration laws – that doesn’t make sense when said out loud, but that’s the situation in Arizona as it stands.
Maricopa Strong, the liberal Super PAC looking to unseat Arpaio, has already spent nearly three million on the sheriff’s race. They have financed an onslaught of TV ads and mailers to residents of Maricopa County, Arizona. The last minute donation from Soros will help boost these efforts.
The good news for Arpaio is that his colossal name recognition has kept him afloat in the fundraising game. He has out-raised Penzone several times over and local voters are more familiar with him. Arpaio's tough stance against illegal immigrants and cost saving measures such as Tent City have earned him the love of border enforcement advocates across the U.S.
With attacks from Penzone’s team, outside liberal money, and bad press regarding a contempt of court charge, Joe Arpaio has been in the fight of his career.
The race is perhaps the most watched and recognized of any local campaign in the country.