‘A pivotal moment in the west’: pro-militia Oregon sheriff seeks re-election
‘A pivotal moment in the west’: pro-militia Oregon sheriff seeks re-election
Posted by John P. Bradford // November 8, 2016
Glenn Palmer, a three-term incumbent linked to the Patriot movement, is among the wests most controversial local officials and could stay in office after Tuesday
Theres an election on Tuesday, and voters in Grant County, Oregon, face a stark choice. They have to choose their sheriff, and the result of that race will resonate far beyond the county. Many observers will see it as a referendum on the gains made in the west last year by the Patriot movement.
Just as in the presidential race, those involved see it as having an almost existential significance. This is a pivotal moment in the history of Grant County, and the entire west, says Todd McKinley, the wiry, clean-cut contender whos hoping to dislodge the three-term incumbent, Glenn Palmer.
The Guardian spoke with McKinley in a coffee shop in the main street of John Day (population 1,707) . He chose a window table at the far end of the coffee house. When told that other interviewees had asked to meet here, he said with a smile, Its a good spot. You can watch your back.
Even more than in other small towns, people here seem to have a sense that they are being watched and listened to closely. Some feel the need to hold their political opinions close to their chests.
Not so for McKinley, who has spent his whole policing career in the Grant County sheriffs office, working alongside his opponent from 2001 onwards. But over the years, his relationship with Palmer grew strained, due in part to his former bosss unusual political connections with the Patriot movement, which refers to a range of anti-government groups, including militias, tax protesters and so-called sovereign citizens.