Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu is often compared to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio for several reasons -- his crusade against illegal immigrants, and love of TV cameras, to name a few.
There's another similarity: dude can raise cash.
Babeu announced last week that he's considering running for Congress. Since his announcement, he's raised more than $127,000.
Babeu announced this morning that his exploratory committee has raked in $127,135 in the two weeks the sheriff has been a potential candidate -- $120,000 of which can be used to fuel a primary campaign.
The Congressional seat Babeu's got his eye on doesn't even exist yet -- it's what
would be Arizona's Fourth Congressional District, as it's been proposed
by the Congressional Redistricting Committee.
The proposed district includes parts of six current districts and covers
the northern part of Pinal County, stretching into western Arizona.
Congressman David Schweikert currently lives in what would be District
Four, but has said he plans to run for a different seat that includes
Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. To win the seat he's seeking, however,
Schweikert will have to face Congressman Ben Quayle -- who will likely
seek the same seat -- in a GOP primary.
Babeu claims there have been calls for him to ditch the idea of running
for Congress and run again for sheriff. To that, Babeu says "I hear you. I love this job and I love Pinal County. I do not love Washington."
