Candidates bring experience to Grant County sheriff's race

EPHRATA — Two veteran law enforcement officers are looking to unseat Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete, who is seeking re-election to a second four-year term in office.

Kriete will face sheriff’s Sgt. Josh Sainsbury of Ephrata and Moses Lake police Sgt. Darrik Gregg in the Aug. 4 primary election. All three are running as Republicans. Ballots began arriving in Grant County voters’ mailboxes this weekend. The top two candidates will advance to the Nov. 3 general election.

In Washington state, county sheriffs are responsible for crime prevention and investigating criminal activity in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies, arresting and jailing law-breakers, serving warrants and other court orders, maintaining the public peace and responding to emergencies. In Grant County, the sheriff also serves as the county’s director of emergency management, a non-police/non-corrections duty.

Here, the sheriff’s position currently receives an annual salary of $154,118. This year, the office has an $18.5 million operational budget and a jail budget of nearly $10 million. Combined, they fund nearly 150 employees in units that include patrol, major crimes, narcotics, and motor traffic investigations along with corrections personnel and administrative support staff.

All three candidates have substantial law enforcement experience and each affirms a commitment to public safety, accountability and transparency.

In financial filings to date with the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, Sainsbury has a substantial lead in campaign contributions from donors at $78,003, followed by Gregg with $47,833. Kriete has nearly that amount at $47,428, but his re-election campaign started with $14,063 in holdover monies while $33,365 has been raised thus far this year, according to PDC figures.

DARRIK GREGG

Gregg, 51, is currently a patrol sergeant with the Moses Lake Police Department and a former chief deputy with the sheriff’s office.

He began his law enforcement career in 2003 as a patrol officer with the Royal City Police Department before joining the sheriff’s office as a deputy in May 2006. He was later promoted to sergeant and then chief deputy in December 2016, overseeing emergency management, crisis response and special operations.

Gregg announced his candidacy in February, saying he was running for sheriff “because I believe in strong, experienced leadership that puts public safety first, restores trust, and unites our diverse communities … Leadership is an action, not a position.”

Gregg has acknowledged an issue clouding the campaign has been a pending lawsuit filed in federal court by him and another former chief deputy, Dustin Canfield, following their resignations from the sheriff’s office in 2021.

In it, both allege they were subjected to retaliatory conduct by then-sheriff Tom Jones for raising concerns that Jones’ younger brother, chief deputy Ken Jones, misused leave time while also working for a private security firm in Seattle. Both Tom and Ken Jones strongly denied any impropriety, and subsequently retired from the office.

In March 2024, Gregg and Canfield moved their lawsuit from state to federal court, alleging civil rights violations. Named as defendants are the sheriff’s office, the county, Tom Jones, and former undersheriff/interim sheriff Ryan Rectenwald. Ken Jones is listed as a material witness. A jury trial scheduled to start this February has been put on hold while pre-trial disputes are reviewed by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

In his campaign messaging, Gregg described himself as “tough on crime while treating people with respect and dignity,” and that “accountability, integrity, and trust are my guiding principles and … the foundation of law enforcement.”

Gregg said he is currently pursuing a degree in business management with graduation expected this year, that he started a local “Shop With A Cop” holiday support program in 2015, is an active member of the “Behind The Badge Foundation” line-of-duty death response team and is a longtime supporter of youth outreach and community engagement programs.

His website is at www.dgregg4sheriff.com.

JOEY KRIETE

Kriete, 54, grew up in Ephrata and now lives in Moses Lake. A 32-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, he was elected to an initial four-year term in 2022. Prior to that, Kriete had served as chief deputy of investigations, chief deputy of corrections, and as a major crimes detective, patrol sergeant, traffic sergeant and collisions investigator.

In announcing his re-election bid, Kriete said, “Over the past three years, the men and women of the Grant County Sheriff’s Office have accomplished some truly great things. Together, we’ve strengthened public safety, improved operations, invested in our people, and continued to build trust within the communities we serve.”

During his tenure, Kriete said the department has maintained state accreditation standards, created a crime reduction unit focused on property crimes and thefts particularly in rural farming areas, expanded mental health response services and employee wellness programs and increased staffing levels. He and other staff members were actively involved in the county’s new $155 million sheriff’s office/jail project completed this summer.

But recently, there was news that a majority of guild/union-represented deputies participating in an anonymous vote last month expressed a lack of confidence in the sheriff with some citing a “lack of respect and accountability” within the office.

In response, Kriete posted an online message earlier this week saying the no-confidence vote was “a significant expression of concern.”

“I value honest feedback from our employees, and every member of this organization deserves to feel heard, respected and valued,” wrote Kriete, saying he had “already met with the association’s leadership to discuss those concerns, and those conversations have been constructive. We will continue working together to address issues that can be resolved within my authority.”

However, some issues such as pay, benefits, working conditions and other topics covered by the county’s collective bargaining agreement must be addressed through formal negotiations with the union, he said. “While I cannot make those changes on my own, I am committed to participating in that process respectfully and in good faith.”

Meanwhile, he continued, “Our mission has not changed. Every day, the dedicated staff of the Grant County Sheriff’s Office serves our community with professionalism, integrity, and accountability.”

Kriete is the president-elect in 2026-27 on the executive board of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

He also has community involvement as a board member of the Grant County Multi Agency Communications Center and Grant County Economic Development Council; former board member of the Boys & Girls Club of the Columbia Basin; past president of the Moses Lake Rattlers Fastpitch Softball Association; and three decades’ coaching in youth and high school sports.

His website is www.krieteforgcsheriff.com

JOSH SAINSBURY

Sainsbury, 50, said his campaign is focused on “steady leadership, strong partnerships and a dedicated commitment to public safety.”

A lifelong county resident, Sainsbury has over 25 years’ experience in law enforcement, beginning in 2001 as a reserve officer with the Soap Lake Police Department and joining the sheriff’s office in 2002 as a patrol deputy. In 2021, he was appointed chief deputy of emergency operations with prior experience as a sergeant involved in special operations, patrol, motor traffic units and collision investigations. 

He is also a director and current chair of the Ephrata School Board. In that capacity, Sainsbury said he collaborates “with educators, families and local agencies to foster safe learning environments.”

“Serving on the school board has shown me how important cooperation is between schools, families, and first responders,” Sainsbury said. “Those same partnerships are essential to effective law enforcement and safer neighborhoods.”

Sainsbury is also a member of the Behind The Badge Foundation’s memorial committee.

In early January, Sainsbury met privately with Kriete regarding his pending election challenge. Kriete subsequently demoted Sainsbury from chief deputy to sergeant, his last civil-service protected position.

At the time, Kriete called it a “difficult, painful decision” but one he felt was necessary for the office and the community to ensure there was “a foundation of trust” among members of his appointed administrative team.

Asked afterward by GCJ.news for comment, Sainsbury said in an emailed reply, “I was demoted to sergeant, and I will work hard to share my knowledge and learn from the younger deputies at the same time.”

If elected, Sainsbury said his priorities will include strengthening relationships between deputies and the public, ensuring comprehensive training and support for personnel, and continuing collaboration with schools, municipal governments, and community organizations throughout the county.

His website is www.sainsburyforsheriff.com