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I have worn a sheriff deputy’s badge for over four decades and now have the privilege to lead the men and women responsible for protecting over 4.5 million citizens as the Maricopa County sheriff. We need an Arizona attorney general who will have law enforcement’s back – every time. That’s why I am co-chairing the campaign of my longtime friend, Rodney Glassman. Rodney’s an Air Force veteran, experienced prosecutor and a tough conservative who will fight to keep our families safe and work with President Donald Trump to secure our border. Rodney and I share a strong commitment to our long, successful marriages, amazing daughters, of which we both have two, and our dogs. We have had many long conversations about the importance of protecting the voiceless, and I look forward to having Rodney as a partner and ally, committed to prosecuting animal abuse as our next attorney general.
Arizona law enforcement is under attack. Overworked, understaffed, and with liberal politicians and the 24/7 media second-guessing every split-second decision we make, fewer and fewer people are willing to serve. In the city of Phoenix, that means under 1,900 officers filling over 4,000 budgeted positions, longer response times, unanswered calls, and in some cases, dispatchers literally unable to send an officer to respond to resident emergency calls.
When my deputy walks up to the car window of a driver they’ve pulled over, with probable cause, the first question in their mind cannot be “is this the decision that’s going to end my career?” Yet that is our current reality. The Arizona Attorney General’s Office is responsible for handling all of the appellate work, on behalf of the state, for all 15 county attorneys across Arizona. We need an attorney general who supports and partners with local prosecutors and police officers and doesn’t kowtow to criminals. Someone who puts victims and their families ahead of evil-doers.
Prior to being elected statewide, by less than 250 votes, our current Attorney General Kris Mayes had never spent a single day working as an attorney in court. Arizona law enforcement and the citizens we serve cannot afford to have someone running the largest law office in the state, Democrat or Republican, who has never worked as an attorney or prosecuted a criminal. Rodney has built a successful civil litigation practice, he’s prosecuted drug dealers and financial crimes and sought justice for victims of sexual assault in the courtroom. He’s qualified.
Rodney has a track record of standing with law enforcement and their families. He serves on the board of directors for the Arizona 100 Club, raising money for the families of Arizona’s fallen first responders. In 2022, Rodney traveled all across Arizona, volunteering his time to champion the Back the Blue referendum, which created a death benefit for first responders killed in the line of duty. For almost two decades Rodney has worn the uniform and now serves as lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force JAG Corps Reserve.
Growing up in New York City, my dad was a lieutenant in the New York Police Department. I remember watching him leave home for work, not knowing if, or when, he’d return. Families of law enforcement can no longer afford to have the attorney general’s seat held by a liberal activist who hates law enforcement nor can they risk electing a Republican who has never prosecuted a criminal. We need an attorney general with a proven track record of standing up for those who keep our communities safe, and that’s why I stand with Rodney Glassman.
Jerry Sheridan is sheriff of Maricopa County.
