Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle is not running for re-election. Curtis Johnson, who won the democratic primary, is running unopposed, he said. Candidate, Rex Laceby, withdrew. If elected, he will be the first new sheriff for the County in 20 years.

Curtis Johnson

Boulder County sheriff’s Division Chief Curtis Johnson, who also served for almost 30 years with the Boulder police department, has announced he will run for Boulder County sheriff in 2022. He then went on to win the Democratic nomination for Boulder County sheriff.

He won the Democratic Primary Election over David Hayes. Johnson led 71.12% to 28.88%, with 36,691 votes to Hayes’ 14,898. The Republicans did not have a candidate.

“I’m running unopposed,” Johnson said. “No one is on the ballot except me.”

He has been endorsed by Sheriff Pelle and has more than 28 years of experience providing public safety in Boulder County. Being Sheriff is a huge responsibility that I take very seriously, he said.

“I hope you will place your trust in me and support my campaign to succeed Joe Pelle and continue to provide excellent services to Boulder County.”

Johnson served in numerous roles in his nearly 30 years with the department, ultimately rising to the rank of deputy chief. In March, he left the department to join the sheriff’s office as the division chief overseeing support services, according to an interview with the Boulder Daily Camera.

One legacy of Pelle’s that Johnson wants to continue is the sheriff’s active role in state politics. He thinks the Sheriff’s Office should be open to changing the profession and it is important to hire and retain the right people.

“As the Sheriff, I will work hard to prevent and solve crime,” according to his website. “Using my experience in law enforcement, I will work to address crime where it starts and will work to reduce our jail populations by continuing to implement smart policies that ensure only our serious offenders are kept incarcerated.

“I will bring my experience of over twenty years in community service to our department and ensure that deputies have the best tools and training to address the crimes occurring in our community. I am proud of the work Sheriff Pelle has done to improve our ability to screen for mental health issues before individuals are incarcerated.

“I will work to reduce interactions with law enforcement and people in crisis by expanding our current co-responder program and moving to a model of law enforcement that puts these resources at the forefront of our response. As Sheriff, I will work with the state legislature to help expand services for people in crisis and make sure that only our most dangerous offenders are housed in our jail systems.”

The Sheriff’s office is responsible for leading the response to disasters in Boulder County. Our county has been home to fires and floods, and as Sheriff I will work to build a better response network to these disasters. Over my career, I have worked on these disasters and understand how to coordinate complex interagency responses.

Leadership from experience is critical when unexpected fire or flooding is on the doorsteps of resident’s homes. I will fight for improved funding and training for our first responders, and will work to lead multi-agency responses that better prepare us for the next disaster.

For more information, go to https:// www.johnsonforboco.com/.