Hickox, East head to general election for sheriff

Richard Hickox and Ray East were the top vote getters Tuesday for Churchill County Sheriff to succeed Ben Trotter.

Hickox led a field of five candidates in receiving 1,930 votes, while East came in second with 1,010 votes. Both men will face each other in the general election in November.

Jared Jones, a Churchill County Sheriff’s sergeant, had 726,votes; John Moser, who retired from the CCSO but is a sergeant with the Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribal Police, garnered 581 votes; and Walter “Butch” Christie, who has previously run for sheriff and county commission, finished with 281 votes.

After the election results were released, Hickox, a captain with the Churchill County Sheriff’s Office, said he’s happy he receive the support from the community.

“I was working for the people’s trust,” he said.

East, who works for the Nevada Department of Corrections, said he was a little surprised at the number of people who did not vote. The county clerk’s office said 4,528 residents out of 13,280 registered voters or 34 percent cast ballots. He said he was honored the people have faith and trust in him.

“I am grateful for the people who supported me,” East said.

Hickox has been a captain for more than three years. He graduated from the Peace Officers Standards and Training Academy with honors and began working in the detention section of CCSO in 1999. During his career, Hickox said he has been on patrol and in investigations for three years.

Hickox said he’s worked on a child death review team and with Child and Family Services, the Behavioral Health Task Force and other committees and boards connected to law enforcement and the community.

He is also a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.

Looking toward the general election, Hickox said he will continue to focus on the issues he discussed at three candidate forums.

“The race will come down to who’s the most qualified candidate in Churchill County and who has the most experience with the sheriff’s office,” he said.

Hickox said the issues are the same, but to get the word out, he will knock on more doors.

“I will continue to talk to the people and let them know who I am and what I stand for,” he added.

East holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of Nevada, Reno and holds POST certificates from basic to executive. He recently completed the Certified Managers Program offered by the State of Nevada Executive Development.

East, who previously ran for sheriff in 2010, said his areas of concern include safe schools and drugs in the community. His brochure outlines 14 major areas of police management training and his extensive background in law enforcement.

Other major areas of emphasis, though, consist of protecting individua constitutional rights, improving community interaction, providing effective law enforcement leadership, combatting illegal drugs and criminal gangs and offering firm, fair and professional service.

East said his points for running for sheriff are solid, and he will emphasize his goals.

“Honestly, the more people I talk to reinforce my platform,” he added. “I will get the word out there (in the community) as much as I can.”

East said he will take some time off and then ramp up his campaign.