Mark Lamb (sheriff)
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Mark Lamb | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) | |
| 24th Sheriff of Pinal County, Arizona | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Paul Babeu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 14, 1972 |
| Political party | Republican |
Mark Lamb (born July 14, 1972[1]) is an American law enforcement officer and politician who has served as the sheriff of Pinal County, Arizona, since 2017. As a member of the Republican Party, Lamb previously served in the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community police department.[2]
He ran unopposed for re-election as sheriff in 2020, and is a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2024 looking to replace incumbent Independent Kyrsten Sinema, after Sinema declined to seek re-election.
Career[edit]
Lamb worked for the police department of the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community for six years. In 2012, he joined the Pinal County Sheriff's Office. In 2017, Lamb was elected to succeed Paul Babeu as Pinal County Sheriff.[3]
Prior to its cancellation in 2020, Lamb frequently appeared on the TV series Live PD.[4][5] Lamb also hosted Live PD: Wanted, a spinoff show.[5] In 2019, he also featured in Season 5 of 60 Days In, in which seven volunteers went undercover in the Pinal County Jail for 60 days to collect insight into jail operations.[6] Lamb frequently appears on Fox News and Newsmax TV.[5]
In November 2019, Lamb called for increased security along the Mexico–United States border to combat drug cartels from harming U.S. National Parks.[7]
In May 2020, Lamb stated he would not enforce a stay-at-home order during the COVID-19 pandemic on the basis that he believed it was unconstitutional. In June 2020, he tested positive for COVID-19 a week before his scheduled appearance at the White House for Donald Trump's signing of executive order 13925.[2]
In July 2020, in response to the protests following the murder of George Floyd, Lamb announced his intention to form a civilian posse of non-felon volunteers with four hours of training in legal guidelines and basic police tactics.[8][5] No protests occurred in Pinal County in summer 2020.[5]
In 2018, Lamb established the American Sheriff Foundation, a charity.[9] In August 2020, The Arizona Republic reported that the charity had raised more than $50,000 but left at least $18,000 unaccounted for and filed largely blank tax filings.[9]
In 2020, Lamb spoke at a convention of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, an organization that holds the fringe legal theory[10] that sheriffs are the supreme legal authority in the United States and are not required to enforce laws they believe to be unconstitutional.[5] He has also appeared alongside the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which is described as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.[5]
Lamb ran unopposed for re-election in November 2020 after successfully suing to remove his competition from the ballot.[2]
Lamb is a supporter of the Stop the Steal movement.[5] Following the 2021 United States Capitol attack by supporters of Donald Trump, he spoke at a rally where he said the riot was not Trump's fault but rather caused by "the other issues that have happened – the Hillary Clintons that have gone unpunished".[11] He later described the rioters as "very loving, Christian people."[5]
In February 2021, Lamb co-founded (with Republican strategist Nathan Sproul and others) Protect America Now, a coalition of 69 sheriffs with the stated purpose of "educating Americans about how our Sheriffs and the law enforcement community are standing for our Constitution and law and order".[5] In May 2021, Lamb launched the American Sheriff Network, a subscription service providing videos showing sheriffs and their deputies carrying out their duties.[5]
Lamb is the author of American Sheriff: Traditional Values in a Modern World, which was self-published.[5]
In December 2022, a spokesperson for Lamb said he was considering running for the U.S. Senate in 2024.[12] In April 2023 Lamb announced he would run for the seat currently held by incumbent Democrat-turned Independent Kyrsten Sinema.[13]
Personal life[edit]
Lamb spent much of his childhood in Hawaii and also lived in the Philippines, Panama and Argentina.[5] He moved to Arizona in 2003, after his paintball business in Utah failed and he filed for bankruptcy.[5] Before he began his career in law enforcement, he worked in pest control.[5]
Lamb's wife, Janel, is the author of a book entitled The Sheriff's Wife, and frequently appears alongside him at public events.[5]
On December 16, 2022, Lamb's son, daughter-in-law, and infant granddaughter died in a traffic collision in Gilbert, Arizona.[14]
Lamb is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[5]
References[edit]
- ^ @sherifflamb1 (July 14, 2019). "Hahaha! I'm actually 47 🤠" (Tweet). Retrieved May 9, 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b c Zaveri, Mihir (June 18, 2020). "A Sheriff Who Defied Arizona's Lockdown Is Infected With the Coronavirus". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ Dale, Mariana (March 30, 2017). "Pinal County Sheriff Must Balance Demands Of Rural, Growing Community". Fronteras. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ Dillingham, Jared (October 25, 2019). "Pinal County sheriff balances TV and law enforcement duties". AZFamily. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Pishko, Jessica (October 15, 2021). "He Calls Himself the 'American Sheriff.' Whose Law Is He Following?". Politico. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ Jensen, K. Thor (June 18, 2020). "A GOP sheriff who vowed not to enforce Arizona's lockdown tested positive for COVID-19 during a White House visit". Insider. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ Musto, Julia (November 14, 2019). "Sheriff calls for tougher border security to stop Mexico cartels poisoning US national parks". Fox News. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ Alana Minkler (July 31, 2020). "Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb discusses citizen posse in response to protests". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
Pinal County already has a patrol posse that is armed and assists deputies by booking people in jail. Other police agencies have a similar citizen's academy.
- ^ a b Oxford, Andrew. "Charity founded by Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb has $18,000 in unaccounted spending". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
- ^ "The fringe ideology of "constitutional sheriffs" is attracting believers within Texas law enforcement". January 13, 2023.
- ^ Oxford, Andrew (January 7, 2021). "Among some in Arizona GOP, siege of the US Capitol was everyone's fault except Trump". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ Kapur, Sahil (December 9, 2022). "Sinema's decision to quit the Democratic Party jolts Arizona 2024 Senate race". NBC News. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
- ^ Hansen, Ronald J. (April 11, 2023). "Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb enters US Senate race for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's seat". The Arizona Republic. USA Today. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- ^ "Son, grandchild of Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb killed in Gilbert crash Friday". ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix (KNXV). December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
