Albany County Sheriff Aaron Appelhans has won reelection for the second time, defeating outspoken Republican challenger Daron Wyatt, 7,426-5,670, according to unofficial results.
Appelhans, 45, was appointed to the office after Sheriff Dave O’Malley resigned in late 2020, and then won election in 2022, becoming the state’s first elected African American sheriff.
His tenure followed a roiling period in Albany County, stemming from the 2018 fatal deputy shooting of unarmed man Robbie Ramirez.
The sheriff’s office hasn’t seen officer-involved shootings under Appelhans.
Appelhans and Wyatt both said they oppose the use of license-plate reader cameras in Albany County, but they differed on numerous issues.
Wyatt planned to honor U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers, while Appelhans said he would not because those are administrative rather than court-ordered holds.
Of 17 Wyoming jail deaths from 2019 to July of this year, five happened in Albany County custody, according to a tally the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office sent Wyatt in a records request.
On the other hand, Appelhans pointed to Wyatt’s use-of-force history, which includes a 2009 officer-involved shooting of a man who was reportedly driving a car toward an intersection while reaching for a knife.
Wyatt was not found criminally culpable nor civilly liable for the incident, including after a civil jury trial and lengthy appeals process.
Comments
Appelhans did not immediately respond to a voicemail request for comment placed late Tuesday.
He posted that morning to his political Facebook page, "It has been an incredible honor and privilege to serve as your Albany County Sheriff, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to seek re-election. Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey."
Wyatt told Cowboy State Daily in a Tuesday phone interview, "We entered this race putting it in the Lord's hands, and we knew that if we lost, it wouldn’t be because I didn't put in the work, but because it's not in the Lord's will. He has greater plans for me and for Albany County, and I respect that."
"I know we maintained our integrity and we ran a clean race," added Wyatt, "and I can hold my head high."
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
