BISBEE — Republicans in Cochise County have picked a retired commander to take Sheriff Larry Dever’s position on the November ballot, AP reports.
Dever died late Tuesday in a rollover crash in northern Arizona. He was running unopposed for a fifth term as sheriff.
Cochise County elections director Juanita Murray says the county Republican Party leadership met Thursday to pick a candidate to replace Dever on the ballot.
The leadership chose Mark Dannels, who worked as a commander under Dever before retiring after 29 years with the department.
No one else will appear on the ballot but write-in candidates are still possible. The deadline to register as a write-in is Sept. 27.
Chief Deputy Rodney Rothrock is in charge of the sheriff’s office in the interim.
