Delegates launch Irvine, Owen into contested primary for Fremont County Sheriff

Carlson in as commissioner, four others unopposed for county seats.

Fremont County Sheriff Derek Irvine speaks with a resident Saturday during the candidate forum. (Scott Majors/Daily Record)

By BRIAN PORTER | The Daily Record

PUBLISHED: March 25, 2026 at 12:51 PM MDT

Just who should earn the Republican nomination to become Fremont County’s 44th sheriff, after Allen Cooper leaves office, will come down to a decision of primary voters.

Republican delegates decided Saturday, in the county party’s assembly, to advance two candidates to the ballot: Derek Irvine and Greg Owen. It is the only county-level seat left unsettled in the primary election.

Fremont County Sheriff’s Office Captain Greg Owen, right, speaks with people at the Fremont County Republicans' forum at Cañon City High School. (Scott Majors/Daily Record(

Irvine, who since 2019 has served as Cooper’s undersheriff, earned 101 of 218 delegate votes.

“We move forward from here, together with a common vision, and a shared goal of strengthening our county and upholding the values that matter most,” Irvine said in a Facebook post to Fremont Republicans.

Owen, who rose from detention in 14 years to become captain over patrol and investigations, earned 77 of 218 delegate votes, to also make the ballot.

“This whole process has meant so much to me,” Owen said in a Facebook video. “It really has been a journey, and I’m excited to keep the journey going.”

Irvine has served twice in the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, and in between served in the Cañon City Police Department. At his website, Irvine notes his 29 years of service include some of the most tragic and devastating events in Fremont County’s history, and also experience with the clerical side of law enforcement: budgets, staffing decisions, and morale.

“It’s time to shape a future where our law enforcement agency stands as a beacon of professionalism, our constitutional rights are safeguarded, our communities are served with excellence,” Irvine said in a statement on his website.

Each advancement in his career at the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office provided Owen with increased responsibility and a clearer understanding of the challenges facing our deputies and the agency as a whole, he said.

“There are serious issues within the sheriff’s office that concern me about its future. The detention center is critically understaffed. Patrol continues to lose experienced deputies to agencies that can offer better pay and more support. Confidence in leadership across the agency is at an all-time low. Patrol deputies are stretched thinner now than at any point I can remember. Calls for service continue to rise while staffing continues to decline. Shifts are operating with minimal supervision and limited personnel to cover a large rural county,” Owen said in a Facebook post.

Stephen Jones also ran as a Republican candidate for sheriff. He received 40 of 218 delegate votes, missing the criteria to earn a place on the ballot.

Lloyd “Skip” Moreau has filed as an unaffiliated candidate for sheriff.

In the past 20 years, only three men have served as sheriff: James L. Beicker for 15 years, Ty P. Martin was appointed to the position for one year, and Cooper since 2019.

Delegates select Carlson Gregory Carlson, a math teacher and best known as a Republican Party parliamentarian, earned 80% of delegate votes for District 2 commissioner, eliminating opposition he would have potentially faced in the primary election from Jason Hilterbran.“I am so honored by this overwhelming support and belief in me and in my vision for the future of Fremont County,” Carlson said in a Facebook post.

Because no Democratic or third-party candidate is vying for the position, Carlson will follow Debbie Bell in the District 2 seat in 2027. She will continue to serve out the term through the conclusion of 2026. Bell has served since 2011.

Carlson has suggested budgeting and finance as two areas he would like to become involved in the Fremont County government, saying the county budgeted for a $9.13 million budget shortfall in 2026, balanced through the utilization of reserve funds. The county’s resulting reserve fund balance is $23.2 million.

Unopposed on the ballot

Four other Fremont County positions on the Republican Party’s primary ballot will be unopposed. They are: Justin Grantham for clerk and recorder, Randy Keller for coroner, Stacey Seifert for tax assessor, and Kathy Elliott for treasurer.

“When June comes, I hope to have the support of the entire community,” Grantham said in a Facebook post. “I am honored and humbled by the vote by acclamation and will endeavor to serve all of Fremont County.”

Also on the ballot

Candidates for Colorado House District 60 and Colorado Senate District 4, along with congressional seats, are decided in multi-county assemblies.

Rep. Stephanie Luck, R-Penrose, is serving her final session in office, previously announcing a decision not to seek re-election. Sen. Mark Baisley, R-Roxborough Park, is similarly not seeking re-election to focus on a U.S. Senate run.

Teddy Collins, Kevin Conrad and Jennifer James are each vying for the Republican nomination to the Colorado Senate District 4 seat. Nicolas Livingston and Jeffrey Ravage are seeking the Democratic Party nomination.

Matt Alexander and Michelle Gray are seeking the Republican nomination to the Colorado House District 60 seat. Kathryn Green is unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

Additionally, state assemblies will decide ballot access for a variety of state executive offices and in the U.S. Senate.

Brian Porter is a special government and politics contributor to the Cañon City Daily Record.