Father of man believed slain by immigrant dumps Kelli Ward for Joe Arpaio in GOP Senate race

Ronald J. Hansen | The Republic | azcentral.com

Show Caption Hide Caption Here's who is running for Senate in Arizona Here's what you need to know about Arizona's Senate candidates: Kyrsten Sinema, Deedra Abboud, Joe Arpaio, Martha McSally and Kelli Ward.

The Mesa man whose son’s slaying, believed to have been at the hands of an immigrant who was in the country illegally, made him a prominent voice for President Donald Trump’s crackdown on border security is now switching his Senate endorsement from Republican Kelli Ward to her GOP rival Joe Arpaio.

Using a former Ward staffer to announce his decision, Steve Ronnebeck said on Facebook late Monday that he had no doubt the former Maricopa County sheriff shares his priorities on combating illegal immigration.

In the process, Ward, a former state senator, loses a prominent surrogate whom she has used to raise money for her campaign and who helped build credibility with Republican primary voters who see illegal immigration as the most vital issue in America.

MORE: Paul Gosar endorses Kelli Ward for Senate, attacks Martha McSally

It comes just days before early voting begins for the Aug. 28 Republican primary. Ronnebeck’s 11th-hour defection is another sign that Arpaio competes for many of the GOP voters Ward needs to defeat U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, the GOP front runner.

Ward's spokesman, Zachery Henry, sidestepped a question Tuesday about how Ronnebeck's shifting allegiance could affect her primary run.

“Dr. Ward has tremendous respect for Mr. Ronnebeck and the fight he is waging on behalf of his son, Grant," Henry wrote in an emailed statement to The Arizona Republic. "That’s why Dr. Ward’s top priority is building the wall and securing the border, and we remain confident that voters know she is the most proven and effective conservative in this race.”

RELATED: At 86, Joe Arpaio's Senate run worries GOP voters

Arpaio said early Tuesday morning Ronnebeck's support underscores his zero-tolerance reputation for enforcing immigration laws as sheriff. During his reign as sheriff, a court concluded that the Sheriff's Office had illegally racially profiled people.

"I'm sure she's not happy," Arpaio said, referring to Ward. "I'm getting a lot of endorsements now that people realize i'm taking this seriously. I'm humbled by the support I'm getting."

Ronnebeck's 21-year-old son, Grant Ronnebeck, was murdered at the gas station where he worked the midnight shift in 2015 over a pack of cigarettes.

The man charged with killing him, Apolinar Altamirano, 29, was in the country illegally and was released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement even though he had been previously convicted of a felony burglary charge.

Since then, Steve Ronnebeck has appeared on stage with Trump several times, from a speech on illegal immigration in Phoenix last August to an event condemning the media last month at the White House. This week he redirected his political energy.

“Since getting involved with President Trump to share Grant's story, I've seen just how much pressure our politicians will have to withstand to secure our border,” Ronnebeck said in a statement. "We've seen politicians like (Republican Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake) talk tough on illegal immigration only to cave to the pressures of the PC media and DC special interests. The Ward campaign has not shown me that this issue is a high enough priority to withstand that pressure.”

“Sheriff Joe, on the other hand, has shown that he doesn't cave to pressure from the left or the media,” Ronnebeck said.

His media contact is Jennifer Lawrence, who was Ward's press secretary for part of 2017. Ronnebeck said he appreciated Ward's efforts on the border-security issue, but "Sheriff Joe wasn't a candidate when I first supported Dr. Ward and she's no longer surrounded by the same steadfast advocates she was before. I wish her the best, but I have to go with the candidate who I know won't waver."

In June 2017, Ward noted she was honored to have Ronnebeck lead what she labeled a campaign coalition known as Victims of Criminal Aliens, or VOCAL.

Since Grant Ronnebeck's death, House Republicans have passed a bill modeled after a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, to get tougher on illegal immigrants involved in crime. Police say Ronnebeck was killed by an immigrant in the U.S. illegally who was already convicted of felony burglary.

READ: In Arizona's Senate race, Martha McSally cozies up to Donald Trump

Ronnebeck's death attracted national attention, including from Trump, who cited it during his campaign as a symptom of a broken immigration system.

A similar flashpoint case, the 2015 death of Kathryn Steinle in San Francisco, shaped another bill that passed the House, dubbed Kate's Law.

Together, the bills would provide greater punishments to people who re-enter the U.S. after being deported and take federal funding away from "sanctuary cities" that do not enforce federal immigration laws.

Earlier this year, Senate Democrats bottled up the bill that passed the House as they pushed for consideration of comprehensive immigration reforms, including legislation supported by McCain.

Republic reporter Yvonne Wingett Sanchez contributed to this article.

MORE ELECTION NEWS: