"Toughest sheriff' wins re-election in Arizona

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio - who embraces the "Toughest Sheriff in America" title - has rolled to victory in his fifth general election.

The Republican sheriff handily defeated Democrat Dan Saban, a former sheriff's deputy, Mesa police officer and Buckeye police chief. Nearly-complete results showed Arpaio winning, 55 to 42 percent.

"I'm going to continue to work hard and fight for the people of Maricopa County," said Arpaio. "I lead this organization. I work hard for 14 hours a day. I will continue to do it, and I'm not going away, and I might get tougher."

Saban, who failed in an earlier effort to wrest the office from Arpaio, said he faced an uphill battle because of Arpaio's name recognition and large campaign chest.

But, he said his campaign would focus the public's attention on Arpaio's policies.

In the past year, Arpaio has gotten headlines for crime sweeps that target illegal immigration, which resulted in scores of arrests after traffic stops and other minor infractions. Arpaio's office turned any arrested illegal immigrants over to federal authorities for deportation.

The tactics brought outrage from some quarters but support from residents upset about the government's failure to deal with illegal immigration.

"If they don't like what I'm doing, go get the laws changed, and then I won't enforce those laws," Arpaio said.

Arpaio has been in office for 16 years and never faced a major re-election challenge.

"He's created an image that, when you don't have the same opportunity to compete in the media like he does, it's hard to dismantle," said Saban.