Web posted
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Emerson seeking new approach to office
By ROY GRABER
Courier Editor
courier@winfieldcourier.com
Randy Emerson knows his time spent as a law enforcement officer is brief when compared to his opponent in the race for sheriff.
But Emerson said that his administrative experience gives him an advantage over Undersheriff Don Read, whom he will face in the August primary. With no Democrats in the field, the winner will become sheriff.
"I give him full credit for his 22 years of service and his training, but
none of that is actually administrative experience," said Emerson. "I can't
touch him on his law enforcement experience, but he can't touch me in actual
administrative experience."
Emerson, director of the Winfield Housing Authority, said he has also been in charge of disaster services for the Cowley County Red Cross and has leadership experience as a police chief in both Udall and Douglass.
He has also worked for the Pratt Police Department and the Pratt County
Sheriff's Department.
He returned from Pratt County to take the top spot in Udall before taking on his current job with the Winfield Housing Authority.
He said leaving law enforcement was a tough call, but the housing authority
offered a better wage than the local police and sheriff's department.
Still, Emerson had always longed to get back into law enforcement, so he followed encouragement from friends to seek the sheriff's position. He ran unsuccessfully four years ago against incumbent Bob Odell, who is retiring and endorsing Read.
Emerson, along with his wife Carrie, has run an aggressive campaign.
"She has been tremendous in supporting me. Not just in the past six months, but really in the past five years," Emerson said.
Ron Lindly is his campaign treasurer, but Emerson said the majority of his campaign funding has came from his own pocket.
At times, Emerson thinks he is the front-runner; at other times, he feels he is trailing.
He doesn't necessarily like everything involved with campaigning.
"I don't want anyone to dislike me, but because of this election, some do," he said.
Emerson said he wants the citizens of the county to be more comfortable with the sheriff's department, and that means less time in the office and more time mingling with the public.
"If they don't know us, they don't come up and talk to us," he said.
Emerson complimented Odell for his years of service and some of the recent changes he has made. Emerson said he likes the modernness of the jail and sees it as safe.
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