PHOENIX - Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu announced plans to run for Congress Wednesday, touting his law enforcement background and signaling illegal immigration will be at the heart of the campaign.
He is seeking to represent the newly drawn Congressional District 4, which includes a small portion of northern Pinal County, wraps around metro Phoenix and takes in much of the northern and western portions of the state.
"There's literally an emergency in Washington," Babeu said, making the problems there an ideal fit for his status as a "first responder."
"While people are running the other direction away from trouble, I'm running towards it," he said.
That specifically includes the issue of illegal immigration.
Babeu said he and his department have been on the front line in that fight, especially against the gangs that smuggle drugs.
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"We can continue doing that," Babeu said, but the problem cannot be solved within one county, or even one state. "There has to be a federal solution."
His promise to focus on securing the border makes him not so different from state Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, who said he is still deciding whether to run for the same congressional seat.
There is one area where the pair clearly disagree: Whether to challenge the current interpretation of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which has, so far, been interpreted to mean that anyone born on U.S. soil is a citizen.
Gould has been at the forefront of that fight in Arizona, sponsoring legislation last year that would require at least one parent to prove either citizenship or legal residency in order for the child to be recognized as a citizen of Arizona and, by extension, the United States.
Gould was unable to get the votes last session. But he said the issue will not go away.
Babeu, however, said such a debate is a waste of time.
"Clearly, we're not going to go back," he said, adding that the issue is not only divisive but is diverting attention.
"Why don't we solve the problem?" he said.
"So many people are focused on the symptoms and trying to fix those" instead of securing the border.
While he's not ready to announce his candidacy, Gould signaled he is ready for a fight with Babeu, including on who is better suited to address illegal immigration in Washington.
"I've spent the last 10 years fighting illegal immigration in the Legislature, which is a legislative job," he said.
"And Congress is a legislative job, also."
