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Woodward declares candidacy
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| Teller County Undersheriff Marcus Woodward, 47, announced his candidacy for the office of Teller County Sheriff last week. Photo by Pat Hill |
By Pat Hill
In a press conference Nov. 10, Teller County Undersheriff Marcus Woodward, 47, announced his intention to run for the office of sheriff in the 2010 election. Woodward seeks to replace the term-limited Sheriff Kevin Dougherty.
The conference followed a press release Nov. 1, announcing Woodward’s resignation as the undersheriff, a position he held for the past seven years.
Woodward’s resignation is the result of federal legislation of 1939 that forbids the undersheriff from running for the office of sheriff.
To comply with the law, Woodward resigned and then accepted the position of commander of the professional standards division in the sheriff’s department.
With 21 years of experience in law enforcement in Teller County, Woodward started his career as a reserve officer under former Sheriff Gary Shoemaker. Over the years, he advanced through the ranks, from civil service to patrol deputy, patrol sergeant, tactical team commander, operations lieutenant and undersheriff.
This summer, Woodward fulfilled an intense course of study at the FBI Academy in Virginia.
“I graduated from there with a whole lot of hope for my future,” he said.
However, stopped short when he learned of the federal mandate, Woodward thought about leaving the sheriff’s office entirely but decided against it, he said.
“I’m looking forward to next year’s election process, it’s going to be interesting. As the Teller County sheriff, I will not make promises that are uncertain to the public or the staff,” he said. “We will continuously evaluate the needs and services this county deserves. I will listen to the public’s concerns and do everything possible to maintain a highly trained staff and ensure professional integrity.”
After his announcement, Woodward took questions from the press:
Q. What do you plan to emphasize during your campaign?
A. I’m running on my record. I’ve been fortunate to have been attached to several of the programs we have now so my platform already exists — I’m proud of it, wouldn’t change a lot. I will pay close attention to needs as they come up, listen to people’s voices in our community.”
Q. What are the biggest challenges facing the Teller County sheriff’s office?
A. Right now it’s the budget and keeping good people on board. We have some great people, but a lot of them need to move on financially. We’re under budget restraints right now that are incredible.
Q. Did you lose four deputy positions as a result of the loss of gaming impact funds?
A. Yes, they were part of our operations division. We’re going to be meeting some difficult times come Jan. 1.
Q. Why did you wait this long to announce your candidacy?
A. Nov. 1 is the primary filing date for the Secretary of State’s office when you announce your candidacy for an elected office. But the primary reason I waited was those federal mandates, the restrictions and the time I had to invest in research trying to figure out exactly what those prohibitions are. I feel it was ethical to take a stance and not take any chances whatsoever, not do anything against legislation.
Woodward’s campaign manager is Mick Bates, who owns Black Mountain Drilling. Woodward is a member of the Teller County Republicans.
The conference followed a press release Nov. 1, announcing Woodward’s resignation as the undersheriff, a position he held for the past seven years.
Woodward’s resignation is the result of federal legislation of 1939 that forbids the undersheriff from running for the office of sheriff.
To comply with the law, Woodward resigned and then accepted the position of commander of the professional standards division in the sheriff’s department.
With 21 years of experience in law enforcement in Teller County, Woodward started his career as a reserve officer under former Sheriff Gary Shoemaker. Over the years, he advanced through the ranks, from civil service to patrol deputy, patrol sergeant, tactical team commander, operations lieutenant and undersheriff.
This summer, Woodward fulfilled an intense course of study at the FBI Academy in Virginia.
“I graduated from there with a whole lot of hope for my future,” he said.
However, stopped short when he learned of the federal mandate, Woodward thought about leaving the sheriff’s office entirely but decided against it, he said.
“I’m looking forward to next year’s election process, it’s going to be interesting. As the Teller County sheriff, I will not make promises that are uncertain to the public or the staff,” he said. “We will continuously evaluate the needs and services this county deserves. I will listen to the public’s concerns and do everything possible to maintain a highly trained staff and ensure professional integrity.”
After his announcement, Woodward took questions from the press:
Q. What do you plan to emphasize during your campaign?
A. I’m running on my record. I’ve been fortunate to have been attached to several of the programs we have now so my platform already exists — I’m proud of it, wouldn’t change a lot. I will pay close attention to needs as they come up, listen to people’s voices in our community.”
Q. What are the biggest challenges facing the Teller County sheriff’s office?
A. Right now it’s the budget and keeping good people on board. We have some great people, but a lot of them need to move on financially. We’re under budget restraints right now that are incredible.
Q. Did you lose four deputy positions as a result of the loss of gaming impact funds?
A. Yes, they were part of our operations division. We’re going to be meeting some difficult times come Jan. 1.
Q. Why did you wait this long to announce your candidacy?
A. Nov. 1 is the primary filing date for the Secretary of State’s office when you announce your candidacy for an elected office. But the primary reason I waited was those federal mandates, the restrictions and the time I had to invest in research trying to figure out exactly what those prohibitions are. I feel it was ethical to take a stance and not take any chances whatsoever, not do anything against legislation.
Woodward’s campaign manager is Mick Bates, who owns Black Mountain Drilling. Woodward is a member of the Teller County Republicans.
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PantherPride22 wrote on Nov 22, 2009 9:22 AM: