Sheriff Jared Rigby will seek a third term in Wasatch County’s top law enforcement job.
He told KPCW Monday, Jan. 5, he’s running for reelection in 2026 because he wants to build on his work in the sheriff’s office and relationships in the community he’s grown over 25 years in law enforcement.
“We’ve got a great team that is working hard and working well together, and so the bottom line is, I want to help in keeping that going,” he said.
The Republican was first elected sheriff in 2018 after serving nearly a decade as undersheriff. He ran unopposed in 2022 for a second term.
Rigby said he’s more committed than ever to his law enforcement work.
“When I took the sheriff’s oath of office seven years ago, I promised to protect individuals’ constitutional rights, and that’s something that I feel very strongly about,” he said. “I have more energy and motivation right now than I’ve ever had.”
2025 was a year of heavy scrutiny for the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office, including two third-party investigations.
One investigation, led by retired judge Richard McKelvie, identified several areas of concern, including alleged absenteeism and interference in criminal investigations.
Separately, other allegations of misconduct in the Wasatch County Sheriff's Office were referred to the Cache County Sheriff's Office for investigation. Cache County did not find any chargeable criminal conduct.
In 2023, Rigby was removed from consideration to lead Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training, which trains police and upholds ethics, after a video surfaced of Rigby interviewing a Heber City police officer during an internal affairs investigation. At the time, Rigby told KPCW the video was taken out of context.
After the 2025 investigations, Rigby said he’s focused on moving forward.
“It’s not all about the past,” he said. “The citizens care most about the present and the future, and they want to know what they can count on and what they can expect.”
He said the office is working on five- and 10-year plans. It will also host outreach events, an effort to improve community engagement.
“I think that all organizations, including law enforcement organizations, need to be hearing from the public and making whatever improvements or enhancements need to be made,” he said. “It is the people’s office.”
Candidates can file for 2026 elections through Thursday, Jan. 8.
