Ed Hermes is currently the Director of External Affairs for the Arizona Department of Agriculture - but if he has his way, he'll be sitting on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors this time next year.

Hermes is gunning for the seat of Fulton Brock, who has represented the First District on the Board since 1996 and is its current chairman.

While Brock is a well-established figure as a prominent Chandler businessman and longtime politico, having previously served in the Arizona House of Representatives, Hermes is a relative newcomer to the scene, though not without experience.

While still a student at Arizona State University, he served on the Board of Regents that governs state-supported institutions of higher learning. He went on to run the campaign of failed Tempe City Council candidate Rhett Wilson, and is currently the Director of External Relations for the Arizona Department of Agriculture - essentially its press secretary.

He appeared at the press conference Wednesday that saw CD3 independent congressional candidate Annie Loyd and a cohort of community activists appeal to the Board not to fund Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's neighborhood sweeps, which are designed to find illegal immigrants. Hermes joined with Loyd's condemnation of the Board approving almost $1 million to fund the sweeps, and took aim specifically at his opponent, who did not attend the meeting.

"I'm very disturbed that Chairman Brock didn't take the time to attend today's meeting," said Hermes. "This is a big issue, no matter where you stand."

Hermes condemned Brock for what he characterized as the Board member's lax attendance record, claiming Brock missed "30 to 40 percent of last year's meetings."

While true, this only puts Brock in the middle of the pack regarding truancy. A PolitickerAZ analysis of last year's sessions reveals that Fulton Brock was only the third-most egregious meeting misser on the Board, coming in two absence behind District 4 Supervisor Max Wilson and three behind Mary Rose Wilcox of District 5, who missed 13 meetings all told.

Still, Hermes sees it as an abdication of responsiblity, and, excepting noted Arpaio antagonist Wilcox, a failure by the Board to exercise its authority.

"There are things that the board can do and should do" about Sheriff Arpaio's actions, said Hermes.

"The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office hasn't been audited in 16 years," said Hermes. "The county ought to be looking into these things."