Grant County Sheriff Candidates Outline Community Engagement Plans

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  Three candidates are competing for Grant County Sheriff“EPHRATA — As Grant County voters prepare to submit their primary ballots, three candidates are vying for the position as Grant County Sheriff including incumbent Joey Kriete and challengers Josh Sainsbury and Darrick Gregg are competing in the upcoming primary election.”
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  Incumbent Joey Kriete is facing challengers Josh Sainsbury and Darrick Gregg“EPHRATA — As Grant County voters prepare to submit their primary ballots, three candidates are vying for the position as Grant County Sheriff including incumbent Joey Kriete and challengers Josh Sainsbury and Darrick Gregg are competing in the upcoming primary election.”
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  The primary election requires ballots to be postmarked or returned by August 4“Ballots for the primary election must be postmarked or returned by Aug. 4.”
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  Sainsbury plans to host 'Coffee with the Sheriff' and town hall meetings six months apart“Coffee with the Sheriff and the Townhall meetings would have to be separated geographically, so the public has about six months in between the meetings to see what is working and what needs more attention.”
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  Sainsbury plans to include County Commissioners and prosecutors in town hall meetings“Townhall meetings are more formal, and we would provide the public up to date information and learn what is working and what can be improved. Townhall meetings would also have County Commissioners, the Prosecutor (or his designee) and other local officials to meet with the citizens of Grant County.”
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  Kriete highlighted ongoing town halls and social media outreach since taking office“Since taking office, we have expanded our community outreach by continuing Town Hall meetings throughout Grant County, giving residents an opportunity to share concerns, ask questions, and provide input directly to me and our leadership team. We also explored creating community advisory committees, but when we couldn't establish consistent representation from across the county, we adapted and returned to a format that better serves our communities. I have always made myself accessible and have never shied away from difficult conversations or community concerns. We also significantly increased transparency through our public communications. Today, our communities receive the same accurate and timely information as our media partners, allowing residents to stay informed directly from the Sheriff's Office. Our increased use of social media has expanded that reach and strengthened public engagement.”
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  Kriete noted the department maintained Washington State Law Enforcement Accreditation“This spring, we successfully maintained our Washington State Law Enforcement Accreditation, demonstrating compliance with more than 140 professional standards.”
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  Gregg emphasized servant leadership as key to community trustNo usable supporting receipt — unverified.
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  Gregg emphasized employee retention as key to community trustNo usable supporting receipt — unverified.
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  The candidates' responses were published by the Columbia Basin Herald“Source: https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2026/jul/23/grant-county-sheriff-candidates-discuss-transparency-trust/”
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  The candidates' responses provide insight into their approaches to transparency and community engagement“This installment focuses on how each candidate plans to strengthen relationships between the sheriff’s office and the community if elected, including any initiatives to improve transparency, accountability and public confidence.”
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  The candidates' responses are ahead of the primary electionNo usable supporting receipt — unverified.