O.C. Register Endorses Craig Hunter for Sheriff

The pulse of Orange County backs Hunter for Sheriff

Editorial: Craig Hunter for O.C. sheriff

Sandra Hutchens comes to the race for Orange County sheriff with a firm grasp of the inner workings of the

Sheriff's Department, having served in the role for almost two years. She has proven a capable administrator with

a keen eye for dealing with the budget, and she has stayed mostly clear of the political fray.

 

One of her rivals, Bill Hunt, worked in the department under since-convicted former Sheriff Mike Carona and at one

time worked as the Sheriff's Department's San Clemente chief of police services. Rounding out the field is

Anaheim Deputy Chief Craig Hunter, a 30-year police veteran with experience in many aspects of the job,

including administration, in one of the county's largest and most diverse cities.

We compared thWhile Ms. Hutchens has, at the very least, rehabilitated the stained reputation of the department,

and Mr. Hunt has a "tough cop" energy about him, the Register endorses Craig Hunter.e candidates' positions on

six issues: community policing, pension reform, immigration, budget management, jail management and gun

permits. Mr. Hunter's and Ms. Hutchens' outlook most closely aligned with ours on the first three categories. Mr.

Hunter expressed a stronger reform approach on pensions and new ideas for jail management. Ms. Hutchens

has done a credible job of improving practices and policies at the once-troubled Theo Lacy jail facility and she

supports a two-tiered pension system. Mr. Hunter manages a sizeable but arguably relatively stable budget; Ms.

Hutchens has overseen cuts to a much larger sheriff's budget.

 

Mr. Hunter has a long history in the county and is respected by the greater law enforcement community,

demonstrated by endorsements from a number of retired police chiefs. He is even-tempered and measured in

his leadership style and is the only candidate to abjure contributions from unions. On the issues, Mr. Hunter is a

strong advocate for the Second Amendment and exhibits the desire to buck the status quo and advocate for

sensible yet hard-to-achieve pension reform in the form of a 401(k)-like system for new deputies instead of

current unsustainable, defined-benefit pension plans.

 

Though we support Craig Hunter, Sheriff Hutchens is a close second. If it weren't for her misguided policy on gun

permits and the political missteps in the aftermath – the unnecessary show of police force at the Board of

Supervisors meeting where the issue was discussed – we might find our Editorial Board supporting Sheriff

Hutchens.

 

It appears unlikely that any candidate will win the needed 50 percent of the vote June 8 to avoid a run-off in November;

though we hope Mr. Hunter will make the cut.