As of Nov. 10 with 99% of ballots counted, unoffical results points to Democrat Regina Marinelli, current lieutenant of the support services division at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office, being elected Jeffco Sheriff over Republican Ed Brady, current Arvada Police Department deputy chief.
"I actually went to work today, and we started the transition at 1 o'clock today," Marinielli told Colorado Community Media on Nov. 9. Sheriff Shrader had contacted her in the morning to start her training, informing her of meetings she'd be attending the next few months before being sworn in on January 10.
"The transition has already begun," she said. "It's a little overwhelming for 24 hours."
Jeffco Sheriff Jeff Shrader congratulated her on her election the morning of Nov. 9 through a Facebook post.
"On behalf of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, I want to congratulate Lt. Regina 'Reggie' Marinelli for being elected as Jefferson County’s next sheriff," said Shrader. "We look forward to working with Sheriff-elect Marinelli over the next two months to ensure a smooth transition for the new administration and to continue the efforts of our staff in making Jefferson County a safe place for all people to live, learn, work, and play."
When asked how long it will take for her to start up after being sworn in, she said, with her years of working in the Sheriff's Office, "I don't think it's going to take me very long at all."
"January 11 we will starting pointing all of my strategies into place, my organization chart and moving forward," she said.
Her first actions as Sheriff, besides swearing in the staff under her name, will be working on a wellness center for her staff. She always wants to start certifing staff in therupies that will be used in the jail as soon as possible.
Previously, she's pointing to staff retention as a major challenge for the Sheriff's Office.
"Community engagement and support significantly impact the retention of staff. The county is losing the expert knowledge that comes from having a seasoned work force. I will change that," she said at the Sheriff debate hosted by the Golden Transcript in September.
Being Sheriff also means being the countywide fire marshal, and Marinielli called fire preparedness an important priority at the same debate.
“We need to get the policies to where they should be rather than everybody working on their own script when it comes to wildfire,” Marinelli said. “I plan to cooperate with everybody.”
Marinelli also suggested the county should look for more federal grants to pay for more wildfire preparedness.
Final election results will continue to be updated as necessary, on Nov. 9 or later. Check back for the latest results.
