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Looks like there may be a new sheriff in Montezuma County

That is, unless other candidates collect ballot signatures

Montezuma County Sheriff Dennis Spruell did not earn enough delegate votes during the Republican General Assembly Friday night to initially make it on to the party’s primary election ballot.

He lost to challenger Steve Nowlin, who garnered 76 votes to his 36 votes during the ballot procedure.

Sheriff candidate Diane Fox attracted 32 delegate votes, also not enough to make the ballot. Candidates needed 30 percent of the votes – 44 votes of the 146 delegates – to be placed on the ballot.

However, Spruell and Fox can petition to get on the ballot by collecting enough required signatures by March 31.

More than 200 Republican loyalists filled the hall at the Montezuma County Annex to vote for their preferred candidates for the June 24 Republican primary.

Because there is so far no Democratic challenger, the sheriff’s race most likely will be decided during the Republican primary.

Nowlin, a career law officer and criminal investigator, will top the Republican ballot. He has been a Cortez police officer and a Montezuma sheriff’s deputy, and spent 19 years as an officer and criminal investigator with the Colorado State Patrol.

“I will relentlessly pursue criminals, be a leader with integrity and work with citizens and agencies,” he said. “I want to bring back public trust because without that you cannot prevent crime and protect citizens.”

During his remarks, Spruell pointed out his successes and promised to continue leading as a “constitutional sheriff.”

“It is a function of the sheriff to uphold the U.S. Constitution,” he said, adding resisting “the encroachment of the federal government” is part of the job.

He said he ramped up a pretrial services program that has reduced jail crowding, which prevented a costly jail expansion. He also noted he has increased deputies on duty and replaced an aging vehicle fleet.

Diane Fox said her extensive law-enforcement background and experience with youth as a school-resource officer would make her a good sheriff.

She said it was time for accountability in the sheriff’s race.

“I will lead without ego and attack problems, not people,” she said. “I have experience as a police officer; I worked in detention, investigations, records and as a 911 dispatcher.”



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