Sheriff Wallace walks back succession plan revelation

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, July 28, 2026

This past Sunday, several candidates running for office participated in a Republican forum on the Jodesha Stage at the Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds. During the forum, which was live streamed on Facebook, incumbent Grays Harbor County Sheriff Darrin Wallace announced a succession plan that included retiring before the end of the next term, if reelected, and naming a successor.

On Monday, Wallace took to Facebook to try to walk back the statements he made on Sunday.

Moderated by Larry Burgher and Seattle radio personality Ari Hoffman, participants included state Rep. Jim Walsh, JR Streifel (appointed District 3 County Commissioner), Charlee Paull (auditor candidate), Daniel Crawford (chief deputy prosecutor running for county prosecutor), Teresa Fox (candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, WA-06), incumbent District Court Judge Megan Valentine, Marcia Kelbon (candidate for Washington 24th Legislative District), Jimi O’Hagan (candidate for Washington 19th Legislative District), Ed Welter (candidate for sheriff) and Wallace.

After the candidates were afforded the opportunity to introduce themselves, Burgher and Hoffman posed presubmitted and preselected questions to the participants.

Roughly an hour and 17 minutes into the forum, Burgher posed, “So, this question for Sheriff Wallace from the audience: do you affirm that there has been no discussion between you and any command staff about you stepping down mid-term to retire, and who you would recommend to replace you?”

“There has been, there has been that discussion,” Wallace said. “It’s not maybe mid-term, or maybe a little longer. My goal is to get the Criminal Justice Center on a contract, and get that. That’s my main goal as sheriff if I’m elected again to get that done. … As soon as I get that done, I plan on retiring and mentoring somebody else, it’s gonna be Jeremy Holmes to be the next sheriff. Just like Rick Scott did for me, just like Sheriff Whalen did for Rick Scott. That’s the process for sheriff across the board, across the state, you mentor your replacement.”

Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Holmes currently serves as chief of special services.

On Monday, Wallace posted a lengthy missive on Facebook.

“Over the weekend at a candidates forum, I was asked about whether there has been any discussion between me and my Leadership Command Team about succession planning and my future retirement. … Succession planning, preparation, emergency and ongoing training and education is not only critical within the leadership team, but it’s critical at every level within the Sheriff’s Office from the newly hired deputy to the undersheriff. One of my top priorities is advancing the new Criminal Justice Facility our community so desperately needs. Our current jail was built in 1966 and continuing to operate this aging and failing facility drains taxpayer dollars and puts the safety of our staff, those in custody, and the public at risk. … True leadership is not only about the present but preparing the next generation and the next season of leaders,” Wallace’s post read, in part. “It is my intent to serve the remaining four years of this next term and work hard to mentor and prepare my entire team at the Sheriff’s department. I am committed to finishing the work we have started and leaving the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office stronger than I found it. At the end of my term, it will then be up to the voters to elect a new sheriff and my pledge to you is that you will have many qualified candidates to choose from.”

In 2022, Wallace, who ran as a No Party Preference, defeated Michael Catlett to win his first term as sheriff. In 2014 and 2018 then-Sheriff Rick Scott ran unopposed, and in 2010 then-Sheriff Michael Whelan also ran unopposed. Scott was appointed to the post when Whelan retired in 2012.

While the policies and procedures filling a partisan vacancy are spelled out clearly in the Washington state Constitution, such for a non-partisan vacancy are not. According to the Municipal Research and Services Center, “If a vacant partisan office was previously filled by an independent official who did not declare a party affiliation, the state constitution and applicable statutes do not provide guidance.”

Grays Harbor County recently found itself in a bit of a conundrum when District 3 Commissioner Vickie Raines resigned before the end of her term. The county solicited candidates who submitted letters of interest and then conducted interviews. Ultimately, JR Streifel [R] was selected and appointed to the position.

As for the “Criminal Justice Center” Wallace mentioned, Grays Harbor County formally started the process for developing a new county jail in 2018 and calls for a new facility have intensified since a February 2025 fire resulted in the evacuation of staff and inmates.

“Getting a new jail is my highest priority. Our jail is 45 years old. It’s expensive to run. I would like to try and have the paperwork signed to get the jail. I’d like to have the jail approved and signatures on paper to get the jail built,” Wallace said in early 2023 shortly after taking office. “The location is gonna be wherever the commissioners tell us we can build it. We do not have that location.”

The initial thought was to build a new jail at the existing site, however in 2023, the county paid $1.5 million for a 15-acre property adjacent to Beacon Elementary School in Montesano with a potential new jail project in mind.

On Monday, July 20, Montesano Mayor Tyler Trimble was a guest on Local Matters with Johnny Manson on Timber Country 94.7 FM.

“Obviously public safety is a huge topic, the jail is a huge topic, the county did buy that property by Beacon school, that’s where they would really love to put that. That has to go through all their processes, number one, then number two, has to come before the City Council for the City Council’s grace to have a conditional use permit or a variance to build that there,” Trimble said. “Where you see Council at, and I think I’ve seen Council at over the years, they want all the information to be in front of them, they want to give the public as much input as they possibly can, they want to see all aspects of it. Obviously, we know it’s needed, we know we have it in the middle of town, we know that being next to an elementary school is not the most popular decision to make, but it also comes down to where do we put it if it’s there. … While I don’t like to see it next to an elementary school, I don’t think anybody likes to see it next to an elementary school. Some of the conceptual drawings that have been seen would not make it like a jail like it is today. Perspective-wise I think there is a lot that needs to be discussed before we go forward with it.”

Before taking further steps toward developing a new jail facility, the Board of County Commissioners indicated that it is waiting for the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office to launch a public outreach campaign for the citizens of Montesano.

Voting is underway in Washington’s Aug. 4 Primary and Wallace’s challenger is mayor of Westport and Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office Detective Ed Welter.