PHOENIX — A poll released Monday showed incumbent Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio winning his Republican primary election in August by a landslide.

The poll from Data Orbital, a Phoenix-based consulting firm, said Arpaio leads Dan Saban, Wayne Baker and Marsha Ann Hill by at least 40 points each.

George Khalaf with Data Orbital said the poll is good news for the sheriff who, should he win the primary, may face a tough battle in November’s general election against Democratic candidate Paul Penzone.

“While Arpaio is in a dead heat for the general election, he will coast to an easy victory out of the primary election with the majority of his war chest still intact,” Khalaf said in a release.

Arpaio defeated Penzone in 2012 by about 80,000 votes.

The poll was released just days after a federal judge referred Arpaio and three of his employees for criminal contempt charges in a racial profiling trial.

The poll surveyed 503 likely voters in Arizona’s primary on Aug. 17 and Aug. 18.

Eighty-four percent of respondents said they identify as Republican, while 16 percent identified as either independent or Democrat.

Half of the respondents were aged 65 or older.

The poll has a margin of error of 4.31 percent.

Arizona’s primary is scheduled for Aug. 30.

Paul Penzone is a frequent radio guest on KTAR News 92.3 FM and contributor to KTAR.com.

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