Heather Willard / NewsBreak Denver
(Douglas County, Colo.) Douglas County Commissioner Lora Thomas wants to become Douglas County Sheriff. Thomas has served as a county commissioner since 2017, following a career in law enforcement with the Colorado State Patrol and a four-year term as Douglas County Coroner.
“From day one, I have made it clear that my purpose in running for Sheriff is to bring a new day of pride, professionalism and integrity to an office in dire need of fresh, dynamic leadership,” Thomas said.
The candidate said a change in leadership will lead to change within the department. She called herself a “go-to leader” in the Colorado State Patrol who could turn around units and operations that were underperforming due to her self-described “tough and no-nonsense, but fair, honest and square-dealing.”
“My expectations were always high, but I always ensured my troopers had the tools and support they needed to succeed,” Thomas said.
Thomas highlighted her priorities and achievements as a county commissioner, which included making assistance from a $10 million fund available for security improvements to any Douglas County School that applied, approving $3 million for more school resource officers and helping start the first youth Community Response Team under the Mental Health Initiative.
“As County Coroner, I overhauled an inefficient, decrepit and corrupt office and made it a model of efficiency.”
In 2018, Gov. John Hickenlooper appointed Thomas to serve on the Coroners Standards and Training Board and the State Emergency Medical Trauma Services Advisory Committee. She was reappointed to these boards in 2020.
Thomas released a seven-point promise detailing her goals of effective leadership:
- Top-to-bottom fiscal responsibility
- Empowerment of officers through a shift in office culture
- Pursuit of pride and professionalism for officers
- Proactive solutions for community-wide issues like mental health
- Pursuit of safety for the county
- Accountability, transparency, accessibility and responsiveness from the sheriff’s office.
Republican candidates:
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