News / Politics / Election

Sheriff’s race begins to heat up

Announcement by Lucas clarifies, sets stage for candidates' campaigns

By Tyler Graf

Published: April 26, 2014, 5:00pm

Sheriff Garry Lucas patrols the streets of Clark County in 2011. He announced Wednesday that he will retire at the end of his sixth four-year term.

John Graser

Age: 62

Campaign donations reported: $9,296

Major campaign issues: Worried about the projected growth of Clark County in the next 20 years, and what impact that will have on jail overcrowding, Graser said he’d like to reorganize the office and “squeeze as much efficiency” as he can out of it. “As the population increases, and the economy improves and we can get more police officers out on the street, what’s the impact on the jail going to be?” Graser said. “We need to be thinking differently about how we manage the jail.”

Shane Gardner

Age: 44

Campaign donations reported: $3,870

Major campaign issues: Gardner said he would work to unite all the divisions of the sheriff’s office. He’d work to boost the office’s visibility in the community, he said, and have it work in concert with neighborhood associations. On top of that, he said he was opposed to “stacking people like cordwood in jail” and would work on crime prevention. “I want to put unity back in community,” he said.

Website: http://shanegardner.com/

Chuck Atkins

Age: 59

Campaign donations reported: $18,590

Major campaign issues: The No. 1 responsibility of law enforcement is always public safety, Atkins said, and that wouldn’t change under his watch. He said the key to the future is approaching law enforcement by forging public-private partnerships. “There are a lot of resources out there that deal with the criminal element on a private view,” he said, “and we’re finding ways to partner closely with them on how to utilize resources.” He said he would find creative ways to solve problems, tapping into his 35 years on the force.

Website: http://atkinsforsheriff.com/

Ed Owens

Age: 44

Campaign donations reported: $6,197

Major campaign issues: Owens advocates for more accountability and transparency at the sheriff’s office, calling the two issues the “cornerstones of my campaign.” He said he’d implement programs that emphasized citizen involvement. That involvement, he said, could trickle all the way down to hiring decisions. “I certainly have the experience to do this job,” Owens said, “and the energy to be of service to this community.”

Website: http://edowens4sheriff.com/

Sheriff Garry Lucas finally put to bed weeks of speculation Wednesday by announcing he wouldn’t seek another term as Clark County’s top cop and, in doing so, opened a new chapter for the candidates looking to replace him.

Lucas’ announcement wasn’t exactly a bombshell. He’s the second-longest-serving elected official in Clark County and, at 70, is old enough to draw a pension.

Still, the will-he-or-won’t-he speculation surrounding Lucas’ candidacy, highlighted by his penchant for reticence, cast a shadow over the four candidates vying for the position.

What the long-awaited announcement accomplished, the candidates say, is it opened the floodgates.

They expect to receive an outpouring of money, endorsements and, naturally, exposure, with Lucas officially out of the picture.

They also all said they respected Lucas and the years of service he gave the community.

“My phone was blowing up after the announcement,” said sheriff’s candidate Chuck Atkins, who spent 35 years with the office.

The announcement made little difference to his campaign, he said, because Lucas had already given his blessing to his candidacy.

Atkins said he had his heart set on running, whether Lucas was doing the same or not. But with the current sheriff out of the picture, there is more clarity moving forward.

In terms of donations, Atkins said, Lucas’ announcement will help greatly.

That goes double for endorsements. Some well-known Clark County figures have been loitering on the sidelines waiting for Lucas’ announcement, Atkins said.

Of the four candidates vying for the office — a field that includes Atkins, Shane Gardner, an acting sergeant; Ed Owens, a former detective; and John Graser, a retired commander — they’ve raised $37,953 in campaign contributions, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission. Roughly half of that went to Atkins, who started his campaign about a year ago and has racked up endorsements from more than 100 police officers.

Gardner, who’s served in the office since 1998, said he felt relief following Lucas’ announcement.

He, too, was given Lucas’ blessing to run, during a lunch several months ago. At the time, Gardner said, Lucas told him to follow his heart.

Ultimately, the long-time sheriff’s departure from the office and public life will force the public’s hand in choosing a replacement, Gardner said.

“On some level, people will see the horse they’ve been choosing in the race every year isn’t there anymore,” Gardner said.

While Atkins reports his endorsements from more than 100 local law enforcement officials, Gardner secured the endorsement of erstwhile candidate Timothy Shotwell, who bowed out of what would have been his third shot at the office earlier in the month.

Shotwell had intended to run as a Democrat. Gardner is running as a nonpartisan.

Gardner said he was running as a nonpartisan because he doesn’t believe partisan politics has a place in the sheriff’s office.

With Lucas’ announcement, the race for the sheriff’s office is “heating up,” said Owens, who’s running as an independent. And for him, the timing worked out. The day before Lucas made his intentions known, Owens held a campaign kick-off event before 100 well-wishers at the Barberton Grange.

He filed to run for office with the Public Disclosure Commission in November, and started his campaign rolling at the beginning of the year. But with three weeks left before the candidate filing deadline, Owens said he’ll start pushing his message more.

Graser, who retired from the sheriff’s office in 1996 because of a back injury he suffered on the job in 1979, said Lucas’ departure created opportunities for the candidates.

He said he plans to continue looking forward. In particular, he said, he will focus on managing the sheriff’s office’s limited resources in the years to come, when the county’s population is expected to explode.