Former spokesman to run for King County Sheriff

Former King County Sheriff’s spokesman John Urquhart has announced he’ll be running for King County Sheriff.

Urquhart is familiar to many from his role as the former spokesman for the department, providing updates to the public and news sources, including 97.3 KIRO FM. He retired from that position last year after 24 years with the agency.

Announcing his campaign, Urquhart promised accountability and respect from deputies and full reviews of use of force cases. Urquhart says the sheriff’s office is at a crossroads.

“Under my leadership, we will take the other road where the sheriff’s office is one of the most highly respected police agencies in the region,” Urquhart told reporters. “Where our deputies are the best trained, the most responsive and where the values of the community are reflected in our actions everyday.”

Urquhart also supports I-502 which would decriminalize marijuana possession.

“Let me remind you,” he said. “I was a narcotics detective, a street level narcotics detectives for many, many, many years. I know about drugs. I know that the war on drugs has been an abject failure.”

And though the position of Sheriff is non-partisan, Urquhart describes himself as an Independent, but he said he leans more Democratic when it comes to social issues.

He also said he will not seek the endorsement of the deputies’ union or the captain’s union. He believes it would be a conflict of interest.

He and interim Sheriff Steve Strahan are the two main candidates in the race so far.