Montezuma County Sheriff Dennis Spruell has registered to seek a second four-year term.
According to Colorado Secretary of State records, Spruell filed an affidavit to seek a second term last month. He was officially registered as a candidate on Jan. 13, 2014. His current term expires at the end of the year.
“Some of you have been wondering if I was going to run for sheriff again,” he posted on his personal Facebook page last week. “Absolutely.”
“The first four years was the beginning, and I have more to accomplish,” he wrote.
As of press time, no other candidates had filed to run for the sheriff’s seat.
In announcing his candidacy on Facebook, Spruell said he believes in the constitution and fighting to protect it.
“My stance on gun issues is not a secret, and I will not back down from those who want to strip our rights guaranteed us by the constitution,” he said.
Also on his Facebook page, Spruell wrote of several accomplishments during his term as sheriff, including the establishment of a pretrial services program and a narcotics division under his command. He also touted minimal budget increases and enhanced transparency “like never before.”
Despite the claims of success, Spruell’s administration has also been beset with controversy. In 2013, his top commander was forced to resign over allegations of public corruption; his drug recognition expert was fired for writing inaccurate reports, and three inmates died while in custody at the Montezuma County jail, which he oversees.
“Bring God into our lives and the constitution in our government,” Spruell concluded in his Facebook announcement. “Seems like the perfect solution to me.”
tbaker@cortezjournal.com