Sanders holds wide lead over Burton-Crow in Thurston sheriff race

Incumbent Sheriff Derek Sanders leads Democrat Kevin Burton-Crow by 29,055 votes in the Thurston County sheriff's race, according to unofficial results from Thurston County Auditor, Elections. Sanders has 52,435 votes, or 69.0%, to Burton-Crow's 23,380 votes, or 30.7%, with 76,040 votes counted. The count is not complete.

As we reported Wednesday, Sanders held a similar margin in the first batch of returns on election night. The updated totals, posted Nov. 4 at 5:51 p.m., include additional ballots. The initial release did not include ballots collected on Election Day, Nov. 3, The Olympian reported.

What the candidates said

Sanders learned of his early lead at an election night party at the Hangar 51 Event Center in Tumwater, The Olympian reported. He called the results a "great victory" in a phone call with the newspaper.

"I'm ready to serve for another four years," Sanders told The Olympian. "I am extremely proud of the Sheriff's Office and I believe Thurston County voters got it right."

The Olympian reported that Burton-Crow answered a phone call on election night but hung up after saying he had poor signal. The newspaper said it had asked him to comment on the preliminary returns.

What was at stake

The Sheriff's Office polices unincorporated areas of Thurston County and operates a jail based in Tumwater. Its total annual budget is about $68 million, according to The Olympian.

The key issues:

Staffing: Sanders said the office grew from 33 patrol deputies and eight detectives when he took office in January 2023 to 55 patrol deputies and 18 detectives, according to his campaign website. Burton-Crow, in his candidate questionnaire, said the office is "losing experienced people faster than we can replace them."
Accountability: Burton-Crow called for pursuing state accreditation and publishing the office's policies and procedures, according to his candidate questionnaire. Sanders, in his voter pamphlet statement, said he has "reimagined how a sheriff can advocate for public safety."
The jail: Sanders told Yelm Online that the Thurston County Jail is operating at half its designed capacity because a second construction phase was never built.

A little history

Sanders became Thurston County's 24th sheriff after defeating longtime incumbent John Snaza in November 2022, according to Yelm Online. He previously served as a deputy for six years and as a community service officer with the Lacey Police Department.

Burton-Crow is an Army veteran who retired as a sergeant first class after serving for two decades, according to his candidate questionnaire. He joined the Sheriff's Office in 2014 as a reserve deputy and works as a special victims detective.

He also serves as president of the Thurston County Deputy Sheriff's Association, which represents about 135 members.

Sanders ran as an independent. His campaign said impartiality is a key reason he chose not to affiliate with a party.

What's next

The results remain unofficial. Thurston County will post updated results daily as ballots continue to be counted. If Sanders holds his lead, he would serve a second four-year term starting in 2027.