The Wasatch County sheriff race between incumbent Jared Rigby and challenger Jeremy Hales was a top priority for many voters Tuesday, June 23, including Heber City resident Rachael Gull.
She said what she valued most in a candidate was “not being corrupt.”
“I think for this valley, we need a little bit of a shakeup,” she said.
A shakeup is exactly what Wasatch County Republicans seem to have delivered: Preliminary results published Tuesday night show Hales garnered twice as many votes as Rigby.
The emergency management director had 3,000 votes compared to Rigby’s 1,500, with about 800 ballots left to count.
Hales’ primary victory marks a significant shift for the sheriff’s office, which Rigby has led since 2019.
The election comes amid the Summit County Attorney’s Office investigation into Rigby for alleged felony obstruction of justice ahead of the Kouri Richins murder trial; Rigby has denied any wrongdoing.
Hales told KPCW he’s grateful for the community’s support and excited to potentially serve citizens and deputies alike.
“I cannot say thanks enough for all the kindness that’s been given to me and our family, and we just want to continue to make a positive impact,” he said.
Hales said locals want transparent leadership in the sheriff’s office.
“The voters that I’ve had the privilege of working with and associating with want to make sure that we are open, honest and transparent with them,” he said. “That’s what I’m going to do if I’m elected in November, but that’s what we’re going to start doing right now.”
His emergency response duties continue as well: he said Wednesday he was headed to southern Utah to assist in the response to the fast-growing Cottonwood Fire.
Hales thanked Rigby and another candidate, Eric Mainord, for their willingness to serve and their hard work. Mainord withdrew from the race in May.
In a statement Wednesday afternoon, Rigby thanked deputies, dispatchers and sheriff’s office staff and expressed love for the community.
“Our command staff and entire team are committed to carrying on the important work of keeping Wasatch County safe, fulfilling our duties to the community and honoring our oaths of office for the remainder of the current term,” he said. “We are also committed to the success of the sheriff elected in the general election in November 2026.”
Hales will face unaffiliated candidate Paul Moore in November’s general election.
Republican voters also favored a newcomer in Wasatch County’s clerk-auditor race. Early numbers show Michelle Kellogg leading incumbent Joey Granger, 54% to 46%.
Kellogg is the Park City recorder and previously served as Heber City’s recorder.
“I’m grateful to all the voters for their confidence in my abilities, and also grateful for the efforts that my supporters made to get the word out,” she said. “It just means a lot to me.”
She said she’ll prioritize communication and voter turnout if elected.
The other county race on the primary ballot was an at-large council seat. Preliminary results show Rachel Kahler with 51% of the vote, compared to William “Brett” Vance’s 49%. That’s a margin of a few dozen votes.
Election officials expect to release updated numbers by 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Results will remain preliminary until they’re certified July 1. The general election is Nov. 3.
For more primary elections coverage from Summit and Wasatch counties, click here.
