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P/CLOUDY Temp: 48 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend November 6, 2002 Jackson County Sheriff-elect Mike Winters reacts at the Red Lion Hotel in Medford after Tuesday night�s early numbers showed him with a strong lead over sheriff�s Capt. Ed Mayer. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Winters will wear badge By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune The sheriff’s badge changed hands Tuesday in the most heated race for Jackson County’s chief law enforcement officer in 20 years. A cheer went up at Mike Winters’ campaign party in the basement of the Red Lion Hotel as the first ballot count was announced at 8 p.m. Tuesday. "I think all of us were ready for a change," said sheriff’s deputy Joe Puckett, who is also Winters’ campaign manager. "Ed’s a nice enough guy as we’ve said all along, but we’re excited about what the future holds." Winters captured 55.6 percent of the total votes cast Tuesday, or 29,308 votes. His opponent, sheriff’s Capt. Ed Mayer, came in with about 44 percent, or 23,237 votes. With one of the highest under-votes for contested county races, about 7,000 voters ignored the race. Contributing much of his own money, Winters outspent Mayer by about $35,000 in the general election. Winters raised more than $57,000 since the May primary, while Mayer’s contributions totaled nearly $22,000. "It appears that that (money) was able to buy a perception," Mayer said. "I wanted people to know that I was serious about it," Winters said. A former Oregon State Police trooper who retired after 14 years, Winters first announced his plan to run for sheriff more than two years ago when the Jackson County Sheriff’s Employees Association pitched its support for his campaign. The association contributed more than $2,670 to Winters’ effort. "Well, I’m happy," said sheriff’s deputy Jim Biddle. "I was pulling for Mike Winters." Biddle is one of the department’s 33 deputies who struggle to answer all the day’s calls while patrolling the county. But under Winters’ administration, the deputies will be joined by a team of reserve officers who will handle non-priority cases such as theft and vandalism. "The first thing we’re going to do is try to raise the bar and provide good service," Winters said. A small-business owner, Winters said he will scrutinize every position in the department to make sure it’s necessary and look at additional cost-saving measures. Although Winters has said the sheriff’s office will have a "new way of doing business" under his leadership, he did not specifically say that he would replace Mayer. "I’m going to put the right team in place to serve the citizens," Winters said. A sheriff’s department employee of 27 years, Mayer said that he was not prepared to announce his retirement Tuesday night. He’ll have to make the decision in January, he said. "My 27 years was on the chopping block," Mayer said. But both candidates said they were proud of taking the "high road" in their campaigns and sticking to the issues. Each advocated increasing funding for the department’s patrol division and adding beds to the county jail. Winters has one year to take a law enforcement refresher course with the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. Winters said he hopes to get the training out of the way before he takes office in January. As with all of his deputies, Winters plans to come to work every day in uniform, he said. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S