Ben Trotter
In a blowout victory, Ben Trotter was re-elected as Churchill County sheriff on Tuesday.
Trotter, the incumbent who was first elected in 2010, gathered 86 percent of the vote over challenger Jay Horsley.
The rout appeared early with the results of the early and absentee ballots. Trotter held a commanding 3,730-585 lead before Churchill County officials released Tuesday’s results.
The general election results confirmed Trotter’s popularity with a final margin of 6,364-999.
“I would like to say thank you to the people of Churchill County to give me the opportunity to serve again,” Trotter said. “I enjoyed my first four years and I would like to thank my staff for four awesome years.I also want to thank my family for putting up with campaigning and more than 40 hours per week I put in as sheriff.”
The two lawmen sparred about their leadership styles during the LVN’s Oct. 15 Candidates Night at the Fallon Convention Center.
Horsley said Trotter allows the employees to run him, while Trotter disagreed and said his style reflects a “legitimate” open door policy and gives credence to his subordinates.
Other than their approaches to leading the department, the two men agreed on numerous issues facing the department including a new jail.
Trotter, though, did say he is working toward establishing a SWAT team with the Fallon Police Department and Lyon County Sheriff’s Department.
This election cycle, however, Trotter littered the county with campaign signs in addition to his active participation in numerous speeches to local organizations. He is also a member of numerous clubs and used social media and his website to deliver his platform.
Trotter spent 15 years with the Fallon Police Department before he was elected in 2010. He beat former sheriff Rich Ingram with 57 percent of the vote (4,953-3,726).
Trotter said a priority in his a second term is to “see a new jail facility come to fruition.” The need for a new jail has been the topic of conversation for years among county leaders, but Trotter said a new, larger facility would provide better safety for his staff and inmates.
He also plans to research and evaluate a “mass-calling system” to distribute throughout the county.
Trotter’s campaign centered on his leadership and financial prowess with the budget.
Horsley, meanwhile, spent 24 years in law enforcement including 22 years at the CCSO. He attained the rank of captain before he left the office several years ago and worked for two years with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Department.
His responsibilities with the CCSO include supervision of “virtually every division and special assignment” and understands the inner workings, budgets, policies, procedures and responsibility to the public.
He spent 17 years as a supervisor and five as an administrator and said previously two of his goals were to increase public safety and trust.
In a prior statement to the LVN, Horsley said serving a community is the first job of the sheriff and the limited resources should be focused “on solving local issues.”