Update: Selecting Sheriff Larry Dever’s replacement

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I hate when that happens! My sources in Cochise County assured me that the ballots had already been sent to the printer. What they did not know is that the ballots had not actually yet been printed.

As I posted yesterday, The death of Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever presents a rare election issue:

Because Sheriff Dever's death occurred between the primary election and the general election, A.R.S. §16-343 applies. Typically the vacancy would be filled by the party county committee nominating a candidate of the party's choice and filing a nomination paper and affidavit complying with the requirements of section 16-311 to fill such vacancy. A.R.S. §16-343(A)(3).

According to the Arizona Daily Star, that GOP county committee nomination process has until 2:00 p.m. TODAY to file the necessary nomination paperwork for a replacement candidate. If they fail to nominate a replacement, what I posted yesterday will be the procedure that applies. Selecting Sheriff Dever's replacement: 

The law allows the Republican Party to select a substitute candidate to take his ballot spot, but it must make that decision by 2 p.m. today to ensure ballots can be printed Saturday as planned.

The Cochise County Republican Party has called a meeting for noon today for the 83 precinct committee members, said Matt Creegan, Cochise County Republican chairman. They will take a vote to choose from three candidates:

• Rod Rothrock, the chief deputy of the Cochise County Sheriff's Office who became the acting sheriff upon Dever's death.

• Mark Dannels, a retired Cochise County sheriff's commander who worked under Dever.

• Billy Cloud, the Tombstone marshal who lost to Dever in the 2008 Republican primary.

The winner will have until 2 p.m. to turn in his paperwork at county headquarters, Creegan said. If the Cochise County GOP cannot make a decision, or if the person it chooses fails to get his proper paperwork in on time, the next sheriff would be chosen in a write-in election Nov. 6, said Cochise County Attorney Ed Rheinheimer.

Rothrock, Dever's chief deputy, has assumed the sheriff position now as constituted by law. The Cochise County Board of Supervisors will select a replacement to complete the remaining 3 1/2 months of Dever's current term, Rheinheimer said. That may be Rothrock, he said.

The thrust of my speculation that the individual the Cochise County Board of Supervisors appoints to complete the current term of Sheriff Dever will also be the individual elected (or appointed) the next sheriff remains the same. Since the appointment will come after the GOP county committee nomination today, the Board will simply ratify their choice. If this individual does appear on the November ballot, it will be for a full four year term.

UPDATE: In a bit of a surprise, the GOP county committee nominated Mark Dannels, former Cochise County commander, to replace Sheriff Larry Dever on the November ballot.