In Republican county sheriff runoffs Tuesday night, five Oklahoma counties saw candidates elected outright — including one incumbent — and two other counties saw their candidates advance to the November general election.
Two incumbent sheriffs were seeking subsequent terms Tuesday, but Pawnee County Sheriff Darrin Varnell fell short in a campaign defined by critical Facebook videos and questions about his operation the Pawnee County Jail.
Sheriffs in Oklahoma serve four-year terms and will take their oaths of office in January. Sheriffs are set to see a pay bump in the coming year after the Oklahoma Legislature created a new sheriff salary support system this year.
All election results are unofficial until they are certified by the Oklahoma State Election Board. The following results for Oklahoma sheriff elections are presented in alphabetical order by county.
Beaver County: Mitchell to succeed Sheriff Parker
Scott Mitchell, Beaver County’s 911 coordinator, is set to succeed retiring Sheriff Ruben Parker after winning 65.43 percent of the votes. Shawn Campbell, Beaver County’s undersheriff, earned 34.57 percent of the 1,027 votes cast.
With no other candidates in the race, Mitchell will assume office in January. Mitchell said he has selected Bill Stout to be his undersheriff.
“Advice I got from sheriffs I’ve worked for in the past is to enjoy the campaign, because once it’s over, that’s when the work begins and the campaign never ends,” Mitchell said in an interview with NonDoc. “Even if you become sheriff, the campaign never ends. You’ve got to keep the confidence of the people.”
Comanche County: Merritt gets over Moon
Michael Merritt won his second election Tuesday, obtaining 54.79 percent of the vote while Andy Moon earned 45.21 percent of the 6,562 votes.
Merritt will face Democrat David Stroud in the Nov. 5 general election. November’s winner will succeed Sheriff Kenny Stradley, who has served as Comanche County sheriff since 1989. Stradley will retire as the longest-serving sheriff in Oklahoma history after choosing not to seek reelection this year.
“I’ve seen firsthand the challenges we face and the incredible potential we have to overcome them,” Merritt said in an interview with NonDoc. “I decided to run because I believe we can bring a unique perspective and proven leadership to ensure the public safety and well-being of Comanche County. My deep commitment to public service drives me to make a positive impact and lead our community toward a safer and stronger future.”
Kingfisher County: Pitts wins in tight race against undersheriff
Aaron Pitts, the current chief of the Hennessey Police Department, will be the next Kingfisher County sheriff after defeating recently appointed Kingfisher County undersheriff Jonathan Riedlinger. Pitts won the runoff election with 50.59 percent of the vote, while Riedlinger received 49.41 percent of the vote.
With no Democratic nominee in the race, Pitts will replace retiring Sheriff Dennis Bantham, who has served as the Kingfisher County Sheriff for 20 years.
In an interview with NonDoc last week, Pitts said his top priority is adding more deputies in a county with a growing population.
“First, I would need to look at the budget and make sure that more officers are able to be hired,” Pitts said Aug. 21. “I would try to find a way (…) to apply for grants and stuff like that to be able to hire more deputies and place them more throughout the county and split the county up into quadrants or zones and have a deputy responsible for that zone to cut down on call time. And it’s their job to patrol that zone that day.”
Lincoln County: Garrett defeats Bennett by 77 votes
Former Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent Kevin Garrett won 50.69 percent of the vote, defeating Lincoln County school resource officer Aaron Bennett, who obtained 49.31 percent of the 5,617 votes cast.
With no other candidates in the race, Garrett will take office in January. Garrett will step into an office that has been rocked by criminal investigations into the actions of two now-former sheriff deputies.
“Throughout my career, I have always strived for integrity, transparency, and professionalism,” Garrett wrote in a Facebook post July 11. “These values will continue to guide me as I seek the position of Sheriff. I am committed to bringing the same dedication and service to this role, and I look forward to the opportunity to serve our community in this capacity.”
McCurtain County: Shirey defeats Ricketts in runoff
Bruce Shirey won election to the McCurtain County sheriff’s office with 80.36 percent of the vote. Shirey will face Democratic candidate Steve McKee in the Nov. 5 general election.
Shirey’s runoff opponent, Jason Ricketts, earned 19.64 percent of the 1,864 votes cast.
The winner of the November election will replace Sheriff Kevin Clardy, who lost his reelection bid in the June primary and who made national headlines after a recording was released of him and other county officials talking about lynching Black people and killing reporters.
“I was tired of what was going on,” Shirey said in an interview with NonDoc Aug. 22. “There’s no reason why a sitting sheriff or any elected official should be talking about anything like that — and the deputies, too. It needs to be better than what it has been in the last few years. The people of this county deserve better than what they’ve had.”
Pawnee County: Price unseats incumbent Varnell
Pawnee County Sheriff Darrin Varnell was first elected in 2020 after unseating longtime Sheriff Mike Waters. Now, Shawn Price, a retired Dick Conner Correctional Center deputy prison warden, has beat out the incumbent Varnell with 917 votes (51.06 percent), after Varnell garnered only 879 votes (48.94 percent).
Pawnee County voters elected Price amid recent misconduct allegations from inside the Pawnee County Jail under Varnell’s sheriff administration.
On Aug. 19, a video was shared on a sock puppet Facebook account containing security footage from inside the Pawnee County Jail showing inmates chasing an officer with a shock shield, fighting back against sheriff deputies and police officers, jumping over the second-floor railing and being cleaned with a power washer. After the video circulated on social media, many Pawnee County voters called for a change in Pawnee County sheriff’s administration, although Varnell said his opponent was spreading misinformation about his office.
Price posted on Facebook thanking voters for the win.
“With your support we attained a victory for the citizens of Pawnee County,” Price said. “I look forward to serving you as your sheriff, improving services and earning the respect and gratitude of the people we serve.”
Wagoner County: Elliott reelected for a third term
Sheriff Chris Elliott was reelected Tuesday to a third term as Wagoner County sheriff after failing to accumulate over 50 percent of the vote during the June 18 Republican primary against challenger Tyler Cooper. The close runoff ended with Elliott garnering 50.2 percent of the vote and Cooper close behind with 49.8.
Elliott took office months after former Sheriff Bob Colbert resigned in April 2016. Colbert had been indicted for felony bribery and extortion by Oklahoma’s multi-county grand jury. Although the charges were later dismissed in 2017, Colbert pleaded guilty to misdemeanor neglect of duty.
Elliott said staffing is the biggest issue at the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office.
“The most critical need in this county right now is deputies and investigators and detention officers, and it’s a nationwide crisis,” Elliott said. “Biggest crisis we have in law enforcement all across the United States is attraction and retention. Clearly, you have to pay them to be there. Since I’ve been here in 2016, [the position of deputy sheriff] has been increased in pay over 26 percent and detention officers have increased by over 31 percent.”
