Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio will lose his bid for re-election, the Associated Press projected Tuesday night, giving immigrant-rights activists a rare win on a night that was otherwise bleak for them.

Sheriff Arpaio, dubbed America’s toughest sheriff, had been seeking his seventh term, but Democratic challenger Paul Penzone, a former Phoenix city police officer, appeared to have defeated him.

The sheriff suffered a major setback weeks ago when the Justice Department, on the first day of early voting, announced it would pursue criminal contempt charges against him, saying he was thwarting a court order that he stop racially profiling Latinos in his county.

His efforts to try to enforce immigration restrictions at the local level made him a target for Hispanic-rights groups, who poured money and volunteers into the race this year.

“The day has finally come: no longer will Joe Arpaio make sport of our lives, no longer will he parade our detained brothers and sisters in his horrifying tent city,” said Cesar J. Blanco, interim director of the Latino Victory Fund. “No longer will Latinos fear Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s cruel and divisive tenure: tonight, Maricopa County chose to build bridges not walls.”

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