Brent Baker Wins Garfield County Sheriff Race With Clear Lead

Brent Baker has 4,961 votes. Dan Loya has 2,378.

That’s a 1,583-vote gap with less than a day of counting left. The numbers don’t lie: Baker is leading by a wide margin in the unofficial results for Garfield County Sheriff, and the race is effectively over.

According to the Garfield County Clerk and Recorder’s office, Baker captured 67.6% of the vote as of 3:40 p.m. Wednesday. Loya, the current sub-sheriff from Eagle County, held onto 32.4%. The total vote count sat at 7,339.

This was the decisive contest. No Democrat filed for the position, making the Republican primary the de facto general election. The voter turnout was a modest 36.56%, with 14,200 ballots cast out of 38,837 active voters. It’s not a landslide of enthusiasm, but it’s a landslide of victory.

Baker, a patrol lieutenant who has worked in the Sheriff’s Office since 2002, didn’t just win; he campaigned like he meant it. He told the Post Independent that his door-to-door strategy paid off. He didn’t have the budget for expensive polling firms. He didn’t need them.

“We’re not a big enough county to spend $20,000 on a formal survey, but if you consider knocking on doors and talking to people as a survey, we’re very satisfied with the results,” Baker said.

The feedback was positive. That’s the kind of data that keeps a local official employed.

Loya, currently serving as sub-sheriff in neighboring Eagle County, had to make it through the caucus process to get his name on the ballot. He lost. Thomas Wright was also in the mix but didn’t make the final cut.

Baker’s message was simple: stability. He wants to improve the work climate, keep staff turnover low, and serve the residents better. He’s positioning himself as a team player, not a solo act.

“I want to work as a team with the community; I want us to be a team that listens to all sectors of the county and takes them into account,” Baker said. “I don’t want this to become a Brent Baker show where only what I say gets done. It’s the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office; it’s not my sheriff’s office.”

He’s succeeding Lou Vallario, the veteran sheriff who served six terms and isn’t running again. Vallario leaves a big pair of shoes to fill. Baker thinks he’s the right fit.

“I feel honored and grateful for the support I’ve received,” Baker said. “My team and my supporters have been magnificent. I’m very proud of the campaign we ran. It was a positive campaign, based on integrity and character; we never fell into petty disputes or dirty tricks.”

The math is clear. Baker has the votes. He has the experience. He has the endorsement of the county’s Republican assembly from March. Loya has the sub-sheriff title from across the county line, but he doesn’t have the votes to catch up.

For the folks in Garfield County, the next six years of law enforcement leadership are already decided. The official results will confirm what the unofficial ones already show: Brent Baker is the next sheriff. The transition begins now.