<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2Uhw9M_1H1uGnPC00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2Uhw9M_1H1uGnPC00" width="293" height="284" ><figcaption>Jodie Barcus</figcaption></figure>Challenge from deputy falls shortJodie Barcus, appointed earlier this year to serve as Okanogan County’s first female sheriff, was elected Nov. 3 to continue in that role for another four years.Barcus overcame a contentious challenge from sheriff’s Deputy Gisberth Gonzalez, winning 66.7% of the vote as of Friday (Nov. 6), to Gonzalez’s 31.1%. Ballot returns included more than 300 write-ins.“The support was loud and clear, and I appreciate that,” Barcus said Friday in an interview. “I’m super-blessed to have the support of the community.”Barcus rose through the ranks after moving from the Colville Tribal Police Department to the sheriff’s office as a patrol deputy in 2017. By 2023, Barcus was chief criminal deputy, overseeing the patrol division, major criminal investigations, and search and rescue.County commissioners elevated her to sheriff in April, after Paul Budrow resigned to return to his previous job as Twisp’s police chief.Gonzalez was hired as an Okanogan County deputy in 2007 and hasn’t been promoted since — although he sought a patrol sergeant position several times. During his campaign for sheriff, he questioned Barcus’ leadership and promised to work more closely with deputies, to support them in their career development.“She’s talking about leadership. She’s talking about all the experience she has,” Gonzalez said during an interview in October. “She doesn’t have the skills to communicate with the public. She doesn’t have the skills to be leading any deputy.”Barcus countered that she improved staffing in the patrol division during her tenure as chief criminal deputy, and she tailored deputies’ training to meet their career goals.In last week’s interview, Barcus said she would turn more of her attention to the county jail, which is understaffed and in disrepair. The jail needs a new kitchen, new drains, and new washers and dryers, among other upgrades, Barcus said.“It’s very dated,” Barcus said of the jail, which was built in the early 1980s. “It’s functional, but we need to do some improving.”“I’m committed to making sure the jail is fully operational and staffed,” she added.In last week’s interview, Barcus drew a distinction between herself and her opponent, stressing that department morale was important to her.“The job is so hard,” Barcus said. “You’re out on the street, trying to hold the line and fight the good fight. The last thing our staff should have to do is walk through the double doors of our office and have another fight.”</div></body>

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Jodie Barcus, appointed earlier this year to serve as Okanogan County’s first female sheriff, was elected Nov. 3 to continue in that role for another four years. Barcus overcame a contentious challenge from sheriff’s Deputy Gisberth Gonzalez, winning 66.7% of the vote as of Friday (Nov. 6), to Gonzalez’s 31.1%. Ballot returns included more than 300 write-ins.

Barcus cruises in sheriff’s contest

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Jodie Barcus, appointed earlier this year to serve as Okanogan County’s first female sheriff, was elected Nov. 3 to continue in that role for another four 

Barcus cruises in sheriff’s contest

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