Mark Essick Elected Sonoma County Sheriff

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Sonoma County sheriff's Capt. Mark Essick appears to have defeated two other candidates to become the county's next sheriff with all 405 precincts reporting early Wednesday morning. Essick received 57.4 percent of votes, former Los Angeles police Capt. and station manager John Mutz had 24.3 percent and Santa Rosa City Councilman Ernesto Olivares had 17.9 percent, according to the complete unofficial results.

Essick touted his 24 years as a sheriff's office employee in various departments starting in the county jail and holding 10 different posts with increasing responsibility. Sheriff Rob Giordano has endorsed Essick.

Mutz said Essick's election would be "business as usual" and that it isn't working. The last election of a sheriff from outside the department was in 1990.

Olivares said his 40 years of experience in law enforcement and public service -- 30 of them in the Santa Rosa Police Department -- taught him that trust between law enforcement and citizens makes for the safest communities.

He called for promoting community and neighborhood policing and improving training and education for sheriff's employees.

Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch ran unopposed. She received 74.5 percent of the vote.

Deputy Public Defender Scott Murray initially planned to challenge Ravitch but he withdrew from the race.

However, his name still appeared on the ballot, and he received 25.2 percent of the vote with all precincts reporting.

By Bay City News Service

Image via Patch