Joe Arpaio rewards a former aide by endorsing his rival for sheriff. That's got to sting

You’ve got to hand it to Jerry Sheridan for persistence.

Or perseverance.

Sheridan, the right-hand man of longtime — and since ousted and disgraced — Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, is on his second attempt to win back the office for Republicans.

He’s been one of the few unapologetic defenders of controversial immigration-enforcement practices under Arpaio, which landed the Sheriff’s Office in the crosshairs of the Justice Department and resulted in federal oversight that continues to this day.

Sheridan maintains, as recently as Friday at a candidate forum in Scottsdale, that deputies had every right under an agreement with federal immigration officials to conduct sweeps for undocumented immigrants — repudiating court findings that the department under Arpaio engaged in racial profiling.

He even suggested at a debate that he might resurrect a version of Arpaio’s outdoor jail known as Tent City that critics say was cruel.

After all that, Arpaio endorses Milstead

For which Arpaio rewarded with his endorsement for sheriff to … former Mesa police chief and state Department of Public Safety director Frank Milstead.

So much for loyalty.

Perhaps Arpaio was going with the flow, joining endorsements for Milstead from former U.S. Marshal (for Arizona) David Gonzales and conservatives like former Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio and ex-state lawmaker Barry Wong.

Perhaps because Milstead has made, like so many Republicans, illegal immigration a central part of his platform.

And, just as likely, perhaps because Arpaio has lingering resentment that his one-time deputy chief dared to run against him in the GOP primary for sheriff four years ago — and won. (Sheridan went on to lose to Democratic incumbent Paul Penzone.)

Regardless, if Jerry Sheridan is to be the party’s torch bearer in the November general election, he’ll have to overcome some strong headwinds.

Including the man whom he served and continues to defend.

Reach Abe Kwok at akwok@azcentral.com . On X, formerly Twitter: @abekwok .

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Joe Arpaio rewards a former aide by endorsing his rival for sheriff. That's got to sting