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Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders has announced a bid for a second term.
He announced his reelection campaign Thursday, Feb. 5, with a one-sentence post to his personal “Sheriff Sanders” Facebook page.
“I have filed to run for my second term as Sheriff of Thurston County as a nonpartisan independent,” Sanders wrote.
“Impartiality remains central to effective law enforcement and is a key reason Sanders is continuing his reelection campaign as a nonpartisan independent,” his campaign said in a news release that was published shortly after Sanders' social media announcement.
Sanders was elected to his first term in 2022, beating then-incumbent John Snaza, who had been sheriff since 2011. He served for six years as a deputy with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office before he was elected to his first term as sheriff, running on a platform of improving employee morale, greater office transparency, and introducing technology-based solutions for problems facing the community.
“When Sanders stepped into the role in January 2023, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office was facing significant challenges as the second-worst staffed sheriff’s office in the state. Crime was rising, staffing levels were low, and deputies and detectives were stretched thin, with just 33 working patrol deputies and eight detectives serving the county,” Sanders’ campaign stated in a news release.
Under Sanders’ leadership, his campaign said, the sheriff’s office has made steady progress to address those problems.
Working with county leadership, the sheriff’s office revamped equipment and vehicles, increased training opportunities and strengthened pay and benefits for all employees.
As a result, Sanders’ campaign said, staffing levels have risen to 55 working patrol deputies and 18 detectives, not including additional support staff.
The sheriff’s office also advanced several key projects, including implementation of new body-worn cameras, planning for the future Thurston County Sheriff’s Office headquarters, and improving training facilities for corrections deputies.
These efforts have contributed to stronger retention and improved performance, Sanders’ campaign stated.
“These improvements didn’t happen because of one person,” Sanders said. “They happened because sheriff’s office employees, county leadership and community members worked together with a shared commitment to public safety.”
Sanders said there is still work ahead and “remains focused on building a sheriff’s office that is responsive to community needs while maintaining the trust of Thurston County residents,” his campaign said in a news release.
His reelection bid comes with endorsements from every mayor in Thurston County, as well as Thurston County Commissioners Carolina Mejia, Tye Menser and Wayne Fournier, according to a news release from his campaign.
Sanders will face off in November against Kevin Burton-Crow, an Army veteran and current special victims detective with the Thurston County Sheriff's Office.
Burton-Crow announced his candidacy last month.
While the office of the sheriff is non-partisan, Burton-Crow's campaign has said he is running as a Democrat.
