New sheriff, a longtime Republican, expresses interest in running as Democrat

Russ Skinner, recently appointed Maricopa County sheriff, has filed paperwork expressing interest in running for the office.

A longtime Republican, Skinner switched to Democrat on Oct. 3, 2023, one day after former Sheriff Paul Penzone, a Democrat, announced he would step down. State law required the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to appoint someone of Penzone's political party as his replacement.

They chose Skinner with a 4-to-1 party-line vote, with the Republican supervisors voting in his favor.

Skinner has now joined a group of candidates who have filed statements of interest to run in the primary election for sheriff. He filed as a Democrat.

Jeffrey Kirkham also filed a statement of interest in early February. Like Skinner, Kirkham was a longtime Republican who switched his registration status to Democrat so he could apply for the sheriff appointment.

The two new additions to the race bring the potential candidate total to seven, with three Democrats and four Republicans filing statements of interest.

The minimum number of voter signatures required for a sheriff candidate to get on a primary ballot is 4,225 for Republicans and 3,905 for Democrats. All the necessary nomination paperwork is due by close of business on April 1, according to the Maricopa County Elections Department.

The primary election is July 30. It was scheduled for Aug. 6, but a new state law pushed the primary a week earlier to give county officials more time to deal with potential recounts.

Have a news tip on the sheriff's appointment process, the sheriff's election, or Maricopa County jails? Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 812-243-5582. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @JimmyJenkins.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Newly appointed Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner may run as a Dem