A veteran Adams County sheriff’s deputy got the backing he wanted to proceed with a campaign to unseat his boss, Sheriff Doug Darr.
By a large margin, members of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 1 voted this week to endorse Mark Nicastle in the November general election.
Darr, a Democrat, is seeking his third term as sheriff. A lifelong Democrat, Nicastle switched to the Republican Party late last year to run against Darr.
But Nicastle said he would end his bid if he did not get the backing of Lodge No. 1, one of the oldest fraternal police organizations. It is made up almost entirely of Adams County Sheriff’s Office employees.
Of those members who cast ballots, 149 voted to endorse Nicastle; 47 voted for Darr.
Nicastle, a 30-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, said he was gratified by the vote.
“This is just a great opportunity for me,” Nicastle said. “The members have seen me grow up in the organization, and they know my style, and they have endorsed who I am.”
Lodge president Rick Reigenborn said some members who back Nicastle, 50, say two terms should be enough for any elected official.
“I think part of it is just that people are ready for a change,” he said.
Darr said the vote does not alter his plans to run for a third term. He noted that the vast majority of the 600 ballots that went out to members were not returned.
He said he knows budget constraints have been hard on his deputies but that he hoped they would understand he worked hard to preserve jobs by making other cuts. He also expects that voters will agree the agency has improved under his leadership.
“We’ve had to make some difficult choices,” Darr said. “Those choices are not always going to be popular.”
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com
