Chris Kaber leads the race for Klamath County Sheriff by 34 points.
Kaber served on the Oregon State Police from 1987 to 2013. Since then he has worked as a polygraph examiner and private investigator, according to campaign filings.
Early returns had Kaber with 66 percent of the vote, versus 32 percent for Steve Lewis, a Patrol Sergeant with the Klamath County Sheriff鈥檚 Office.
Lewis stopped actively campaigning in September, effectively conceding the race to Kaber before a vote. While Lewis did not actually drop out of the race, he issued a press release saying he would support Kaber, and that 鈥渢his is not the time to battle each other or cause further divide in the office or the community.鈥�
The KCSO has been beleaguered by conflict and scandal for more than a year. There is a criminal case and a civil complaint pending against outgoing Klamath County Sheriff Frank Skrah for excessive force.