Governor Doug Ducey this week announced support for Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu in the CD 1 race. Ducey praised Babeu’s efforts focused on battling drug and human smuggling cartels along the Interstate 10 corridor.
“Sheriff Paul Babeu is taking the fight directly to the cartels, protecting residents in Pinal County and all across Arizona by taking dangerous drugs and criminals off the streets,” Ducey said. “I know Arizona will have a partner in Congress who will work to secure our border and stop the flow of drugs and people.”
Babeu, a veteran of the Iraq War, faces Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat Tom O’Halleran in November.
Babeu spent 20 years in the Army National Guard, rising to the rank of major. In addition, Babeu commanded 700 troops on the Arizona-Mexico border as part of Operation Jump Start, which helped reduce illegal immigration and drug smuggling by 94 percent in the Yuma Sector. He was first elected Pinal County Sheriff in 2008 and won reelection in 2012.