One of these 3 GOP members could be Benton County’s next sheriff
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Benton GOP will vet three candidates Nov. 18; party sends top three to commissioners.
- County commissioners must appoint a replacement by Nov. 30 or governor steps in.
- The three candidates offer decades of county and city law enforcement experience.
Three candidates interested in serving the final year of Benton County Sheriff Tom Croskrey’s term will be interviewed by local Republicans in a public forum Nov. 18.
Then, the party’s central committee will forward their top-three choices on to the Benton County commissioners, who will make the final selection. The Republican Party chooses the candidates because Croskrey was a Republican.
The applicants are:
- Interim Sheriff Mike Clark
- Deputy Brad Klippert, a former member of the Washington House of Representatives and currently candidate for the Kennewick City Council
- Former Benton County Detective Jeremy Carrigan
The trio of Republicans was reportedly vetted and interviewed by the Benton County Republican Party’s vetting committee in recent days and will now participate in a candidate forum with the wider party.
Croskrey stepped down as elected sheriff on Oct. 2 with a little more than a year left on his term.
His lawyer said he accomplished his mission of stabilizing the office and providing leadership following the tumultuous term of former Sheriff Jerry Hatcher, who was recalled in August 2021.
Six current and former sheriff’s deputies sued the county over how Hatcher treated them, and the trial is starting this week in Walla Walla County Superior Court. The individuals claim Hatcher subjected them to “atrocious” and “tyrannical” behavior — including interrogations, open belittling and threats of physical violence — and that they were forced to take retirements and transfers to get away from their boss.
None of the three Republican candidates are involved in the lawsuit.
Clark, a veteran deputy, was selected as interim sheriff by the county commissioners on Sept. 30 after Croskrey retired.
Benton Republicans will host a candidate interview forum 6:30 p.m. Nov. 18 at Island View Church, now called City of Habitation, in Richland. It’s unclear if additional candidates not named on the party’s vetted list will be interviewed.
The party’s central committee will choose its finalists in a closed-door meeting.
And the county commissioners are expected to appoint the next sheriff sometime before Nov. 30. They have 60 days from Croskrey’s resignation to name a replacement, and if they miss it, the governor makes the choice.
The position pays an annual salary of $133,000, and will be up for election in 2026.
Who are the Benton sheriff candidates?
Clark has spent 22 years with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and had served as the agency’s public information officer.
He previously led the community services division and provided support for community outreach, marine patrol, school resource officers, training and SWAT team.
He started his law enforcement career in 2003 as a corrections officer at the Benton County Jail, and later served 10 years as a patrol deputy, according to his resume. He worked his way up through the ranks before becoming a lieutenant in 2021. He also has worked with the commissioners on training and wellness programs for the sheriff’s office.
Klippert has served more than 25 years as a sheriff’s deputy, working in patrol, investigations and community safety. He currently works as the Kiona-Benton City schools resource officer. He served 14 years in the Washington state House, representing the 8th Legislative District, and served as ranking member on the House Public Safety Committee.
He’s currently campaigning for an open seat on the Kennewick City Council. If Nov. 4 voters choose him for the seat, and county commissioners also select him later this month, Klippert will have to resign from the city council in order to serve as sheriff.
Klippert served 34 years in the U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard, and previously served nearly seven years as a deputy for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
Carrigan has 15 years of law enforcement experience, including six as a Benton County detective and nearly three years as a task force officer with the U.S. Marshals Service. He told the party he left the sheriff’s office in 2023 because of a back injury.
His work as detective mostly involved major crimes, including homicides, narcotics and gang-related activity. Carrigan also served more than four years on the Benton County Gang Team, as well as two years as a volunteer instructor with the Washington Reserve Academy in Pasco.
He got his start as a patrol officer with the Pasco Police Department, where he served from 2008 to 2011.
Reporter Cameron Probert contributed to this story.
