Oscar Ugarte has taken a clear lead in early voting and will likely head to a runoff against either Robert “Bobby” Flores or Ryan Urrutia for the Democratic nomination in the El Paso County sheriff’s race.
Ugarte is leading with 43% of the early votes, while Flores has 24% and Urrutia has 23%. Democratic candidates Michael Gonzales and Raul Mendiola are trailing in early voting and unlikely to move forward in the election.
The Democratic Party winner will face Minerva Torres Shelton, who’s running unopposed in the Republican primary, in the November general election.
The winner will replace Sheriff Richard Wiles, who is retiring after 15 years on the job.
Urrutia, 50, is a commander in the Sheriff’s Office who has been with the department since 1996. He’s being backed by Wiles, who is serving as his campaign treasurer. Urrutia has raised about $106,000 for his campaign, including about $3,000 in monetary donations during the latest filing period.
Flores, 53, a retired assistant chief who spent 33 years with the Sheriff’s Office, is being backed by former Congressman Silvestre Reyes. Flores has raised about $124,450 for the race, including a large boost of $18,450 in the last filing period.
Both Urrutia and Flores have marks on their personnel files that resulted in disciplinary action.
Flores has nine internal affairs complaints dating back to the 1990s, with four of them resulting in letters of reprimand. The complaints include allowing two deputies under his supervision to work a security job while still claiming a full eight-hour shift, as well as fraternization stemming from a sexual relationship with a co-worker’s partner.
He and Urrutia were both reprimanded for purchasing a firearm suppressor, or silencer, for personal use using official department letterheads to avoid a waiting period and a tax on the purchase.
The reprimand was one of three for Urrutia, who has five internal affairs complaints on his personnel record. He was also reprimanded for losing 12 traffic citations and for allowing an unmarked vehicle under his supervision to participate in a pursuit.
The county sheriff oversees a department with a $122 million budget and about 580 detention officers, 270 deputies and 110 civilian staff. The Sheriff’s Department is responsible for enforcing laws within El Paso County, overseeing criminal investigations, drug detection programs, jail administration and patrolling county roads.
The county sheriff currently earns $190,226 a year and serves a four-year term. The winner would take office in January 2025.
The post Sheriff: Ugarte takes early voting lead, with Flores, Urrutia fighting for runoff appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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