Daugherty Wins Sheriff Election

Travis Daugherty won Tuesday’s election for Blaine County Sheriff.

The final tally was 2,703-1,158, for a 70 to 30 percent win over his Democratic challenger, Brian Johnson.

Daugherty will take over the sheriff’s duties Jan. 1 from current sheriff Tony Almaguer, who Daugherty defeated in the Republican primary.

An emotional Daugherty said he was grateful for the results.

“I just want to thank everyone who voiced their opinion and voted,” he said Tuesday night. “Man, it’s been a long road. I believe people made the right decision. I will stand behind what I said I would do during the campaign.”

This is the second time Daugherty ran for the sheriff. He lost in 2008.

“I think at that time I definitely had growing to do,” he said. “Through adversity, change and maturity, I reached a point where people believe in me. It feels good to know they chose me. Very humbling.”

Daugherty will kick off his term with a couple of key points.

“One of the big things I promised people is that I will overhaul the dispatch office,” he said. “I want to make sure we are trained to second to none in the industry.”

When people call, Daugherty wants them to feel 100 percent confident their needs are met and they are being taken care of.

He also wants to make sure Blaine County is a better investigative county.

“I will make sure our deputies are trained and can work a crime scene A-Z,” he said.

Daugherty wants to get reinvolved with the schools, he said earlier this year, holding drug and alcohol awareness assemblies to help curb use among youngsters. He also said officers should be frequent visitors to the schools, even just to eat lunch with the students.

“I want to show them the human side of the badge,” he said earlier this year. “I can bring a lot to the table through leading by example.”

In an interview earlier this year, Johnson, a police officer, praised the current sheriff for upgrades in department vehicles and other technology, saying they needed to be made.

“But there needs to be more care for the community. That’s what matters,” Johnson said.