Douglas County Commissioner Lora Thomas, a Highlands Ranch Republican and former state trooper, declared on Friday that she’s running for sheriff in the fast-growing, suburban county.

“We need to have an unmatched level of public safety, and law enforcement that we can trust,” Thomas said in a written statement. “And for Douglas County that begins – and ends – with a highly qualified sheriff; an effective leader who brings to that office professionalism, pride, integrity and a commitment to be and do the very best to protect and serve the public.” She added: “And I’m exactly the right person for that job.”

Thomas was elected to a second term on the county commission last year by a wide margin after serving a term as county coroner earlier in the decade. In her 26 years with the Colorado State Patrol, she chaired Homeland Security operations for 10 metro counties after the Sept. 11 attacks and became the first woman to attain the ranks of captain and major.

Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock, a Republican who was the target of an unsuccessful recall attempt over his support for a “red flag” bill, is term-limited. The Douglas County GOP in 2019 condemned Spurlock for backing the bill, which allows judges to approve request to temporarily seize firearms from people deemed a danger to themselves or others.

Three other Republicans with experience in local law enforcement have so far declared candidacies for sheriff – John Anderson, Holly Nicholson-Kluth and Darren Weekly. According to the Douglas County News-Press, Anderson is a former Castle Rock police officer; Holly Nicholson-Kluth is a former Douglas County undersheriff, and Darren Weekly is a captain in the sheriff’s department.

Thomas and Anderson ran for sheriff against Spurlock in 2014, but neither qualified for the primary ballot.

Before the next decade’s congressional lines were finalized, Thomas briefly considered running for the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year, she told Colorado Politics. Under the boundaries created by an independent redistricting commission, however, her residence in Highlands Ranch shifted from the 6th Congressional District, represented by Democrat Jason Crow, to the 4th Congressional District, represented by Republican Ken Buck.

Thomas said that during her four-year term as coroner she was able to cut the office’s budget by one-third while demand increased by 45% during her term. She also cracked down on employees who were stealing and pioneered the popular “Night With a Coroner” events, which have raised thousands of dollars for teen suicide prevention.

During her tenure as a commissioner, Thomas points to expanding the county’s community response teams to respond to mental health crises with treatment rather than incarceration and helping resolve a longstanding issue to add water storage capacity to Chatfield Reservoir. She also played a key role in creating a new judicial district by splitting Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties from Arapahoe County, which takes effect in 2025.