When Kacey Bates was appointed in 2025, she became the second female sheriff in Utah history and the first in Summit County.
Jan. 2, she filed the paperwork to run for sheriff in the 2026 election. One of Bates’ priorities, she says, is mental health treatment and prevention.
“I think it's important to make sure that everyone knows that this job isn't just about enforcement. It's about leadership. It's about accountability. It's making sure that our deputies have the support, the training, and at the same time that our community feels heard and protected,” she told KPCW. “And I'm running because I care deeply about this county ... and I'm ready to lead the sheriff's office with that integrity and transparency and continue with the compassion that everyone's seen so far.”
Bates was chief deputy under Sheriff Frank Smith and is now serving out the remainder of his term which expires at the end of 2026.
Before becoming chief deputy, she was the jail commander overseeing the corrections division.
Bates says she hopes to expand corrections’ mental health resources.
She touted improvements already made in the investigations division, which now has more technology for digital forensics, and increased patrols. She expressed a desire to build on the achievements of her predecessors.
“With almost three decades in law enforcement, I have been able to work along a lot of different leadership styles and under four different sheriffs,” Bates said. “And I really have seen what works and what doesn't work and where I believe we need to be better with things like prevention, mental health response and building trust within the public.”
Bates is a Democrat and the party’s North Summit vice chair.
She is a Summit County native and has spent her entire career at the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, serving in the corrections, patrol, courts and investigations divisions.
The other countywide offices on the Nov. 3 ballot include county auditor, attorney and clerk. Summit County will elect councilmembers in Districts 4 and 5 too, covering most neighborhoods in the Snyderville Basin.
