Embattled Pinal County Sheriff Paul
Babeu announced on Friday that he's dropping out of the race for
Arizona's 4th Congressional District.
“We have done a great job … at the
end of the day, that's all that really matters,” KTAR radio quoted
Babeu, a Republican, as saying.
Babeu will instead run for re-election
as Pinal County Sheriff.
“Yesterday, I informed my campaign
staff and our finance team of my decision to run for re-election,”
Babeu said in a statement.
The 43-year-old Babeu in February
acknowledged that he is gay in the course of denying charges made by
his former boyfriend, Jose Orozco, that Babeu threatened to have him
deported if he discussed their relationship. Orozo has since filed a
$1 million lawsuit. Babeu has denied the charges.
In publicly announcing his sexual
orientation, Babeu also stepped down as co-chairman of Mitt Romney's
Arizona campaign.
The announcement comes just weeks after
the Phoenix
New Times reported that contributions to Babeu's campaign had
gone from a stream to a trickle since the scandal made national
headlines.