As of 6:30 Wednesday morning, Mitchell was leading his opponent Brian Bryson, 67.1 percent to 32 percent.
Both Brian Bryson and Mitchell come with extensive experience at the Sheriff鈥檚 department. They鈥檝e been competing to replace the current Sheriff, Chris Kaber, who decided not to run for re-election. That鈥檚 after an extended public fight with county commissioners over ethics and the management of his two sons, who also work at the department.
Bryson and Mitchell both want the county to move past the drama of the past year, and focus on making the sheriff鈥檚 office better. That includes rebuilding relationships with law enforcement partners and addressing county budget shortfalls.
Mitchell would be one of, if not the first, Native American sheriff in Oregon. Mitchell is an enrolled member of the Klamath Tribes.
It could take days before we know the final results, since ballots in Oregon can arrive up to one week past Election Day and still be counted.
