After winning at the ballot box by a 3-1 margin on Tuesday, Montezuma County sheriff-elect Steve Nowlin will be sworn into office on Jan. 13.
According to unofficial results, 9,790 total votes were cast in Montezuma County on Election Day, and Nowlin was declared the winner after receiving 6,241 votes. The 57-year-old retired Colorado State Patrol investigator defeated write-in challenger Mike Steele, who received 2,198 votes.
When the results were announced Tuesday at a GOP celebration at the Cortez Elks Lodge, dozens cheered.
“I appreciate everyone’s support,” said Nowlin, amid hugs from supporters. “This is a win for everyone in the county, and I will do my best to serve everyone.”
Within his first 100 days in office, Nowlin has vowed to focus on improving communication between the agency and the public, increasing the number of substance-abuse counselors in the jail, stepping up drug enforcement, ordering a complete independent audit of the department, improving medical and health benefits for employees, providing necessary skills training for staff, adding two agriculture deputies and improving school security.
Law enforcement reaction
Silent during the campaign about who he’d endorse, Cortez Police Chief Roy Lane offered his congratulations.
“I am looking forward to the next four years,” said Lane. “I will be happy to share any information that I have with Steve.”
Confident that he and Nowlin would work well together, Lane said communication is key.
District Attorney Will Furse applauded the candidates for seeking office. He said Nowlin’s experience and knowledge will help move the community in a positive direction.
“I look forward to meeting with our sheriff-elect and sharing ideas on how to improve our criminal justice system,” said Furse.
To win the election, Nowlin upset Sheriff Dennis Spruell by a 2-1 margin in the GOP caucus this summer. Spruell petitioned onto the Republican primary ballot, but voters again chose Nowlin by a wide margin.
During the last half of Spruell’s four-year term in office, his administration faced a corruption scandal involving his second in command, multiple jail deaths and a perception that his budget was bloated.
After Tuesday’s general election, the Journal asked Spruell to comment, share tips or explain how he would assist with a smooth transition of power. Instead, he responded with a 1,154-word letter touting his accomplishments and criticizing the Journal’s coverage of his office.
Ute Mountain Ute Police Chief Mike McCoy was unavailable for comment.
Voter turnout
Outgoing Montezuma County Clerk and Recorder Carol Tullis said a stream of voters turned out on Monday and Tuesday to cast ballots. She said most of the last-minute voters either reported they never received a ballot or lost the one that they’d received. Colorado shifted to a mail-in only election this year.
Voters seeking a ballot at the clerk’s office were required to complete a replacement form and pledge they had resided at their current residence for the past 22 days. They also had to show state-issued identification.
“It was pretty easy,” said P.A. Jackson, one of the last to apply for a replacement ballot Tuesday.
“Voting is our right,” he said, adding that he favored Nowlin. “If you want your voice heard, then you should vote.”
At 6:15 p.m. on Election Day, about a dozen citizens waited to cast their vote at the clerk’s office. The line continued until the polls closed at 7 p.m.
Johnny Warren, a lifelong resident of Montezuma County, was among those last-minute voters. He said he left his hunting stand to participate.
“I think it’s mandatory for citizens to express how they feel,” he said.
He was quick to say he supported Nowlin.
“He’s a good man,” Warren said. “I’ve known him a long time. He’s a member of our community, and I respect him.”
Registered voters in Montezuma County total 18,657. Unofficial results indicate 9,790 ballots were cast, a 52.4 percent voter turnout.
Steele campaign
Questioned about certifying write-in votes for Steele, Tullis said both the candidate’s name had to be written and the oval darkened on the ballot. She added if election commissioners could distinguish a misspelled name was cast for Steele, the vote was counted.
“We’ve had some people write-in Barney Fife and Andy Taylor for sheriff,” said Tullis. “Those obviously weren’t counted.”
A request from the Steele campaign to put labels on the ballot was denied, said Tullis.
During the campaign, Steele and his backers launched aggressive public and social media efforts to discredit the credibility and reputation of both Nowlin and the Journal. The Journal’s editorial board, which is not part of the paper’s news room, had endorsed Nowlin.
Multiple attempts to reach Steele for comment after the election were unsuccessful. On his campaign Facebook page, Steele thanked his supporters for their efforts.
Reached via telephone on Wednesday, Steele supporter John Karsten was distraught, saying his choice for sheriff faced an uphill battle as a write-in. He said he favored a “fresh face with fresh ideas” and questioned Nowlin’s honesty and integrity.”
“But Montezuma County voted him in, so we’re going to have to live with it,” he said.
According to finance reports, Nowlin and Steele each spent more than $10,000 on their campaigns.
tbaker@cortezjournal.com
Votes explained
Steve Nowlin’s 6,241 votes and Steele’s 2,198 votes add up to 8,439 votes. But the total votes cast in the election was 9,790, leaving a 1,351 discrepancy.
Chief Deputy Clerk Kim Percell explained the discrepancy.
“Either voters chose not to vote for sheriff, incorrectly filled out the write-in, or wrote in something like Mickey Mouse or Barney Fife,” she said.
Percell said that when the voting machine detects that a write-in candidate has been chosen, the ballot is hand-counted.
The ruling state statute states: “A write-in vote should be counted if the write-in line on the ballot includes at least a reasonably correct interpretation of the candidate’s last name, and the voter fills in the target area next to the write-in line.”
Percell said the number of votes due to a voter’s joke, mistake, or not voting was not large.
