July 11, 2014 08:58 PM UTC

First Woman to Run for Sheriff of Mesa County.....What !?!

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• by: Benita Phillips

2014 July 9 Media Blast

I am running for Mesa County Sheriff as a Write in and have been running since I announced my candidacy in public at the Cinco de Mayo Main Street fair on May 4, 2014.  Why did you not know about my candidacy?

I have been totally ignored by all Grand Valley media.  It is unheard of for a woman to run for the top “man’s” job.  It is unheard of for a Registered Nurse to have the audacity to run for Sheriff.  Being a woman and a Registered Nurse gives me the foundational knowledge to be Sheriff.  Being a “Write-In” candidate was a difficult choice but I wanted nothing to inhibit the essential reasons a woman and a Nurse should run, i.e. impartiality, objectivity and independence.

Of all the men that are still running, none have my years of public service.  None have my supervisory experience.  None have my budget control experience.  None have lived and worked in a war zone and prepared for casualties.  None have worked for better care for our local vets.  None understand life and death decisions and working with families as I have.  I have had a patient-centered career. I have had a community outreach career.  I have lived and worked in a multi-national and multi-cultural setting successfully.  I have worked almost a decade inside a US government agency, the Veterans Hospital and I understand this community and its needs for now and the future far better than any other candidate.

I was President of Mesa County Western Colorado Congress for over 2 years and unfortunately, one of only a handful of Republican members.  In that time I scrutinized, probed and prodded the present and future issues our county will be facing.  The cultural diversity of our county is an enormous strength and a bane if misunderstood or mishandled.  Trust is imperative.

King is under investigation.  Trust will be a problem for him.  There are three men “petitioning” on to the ballot, two of which chickened out on running until King was under investigation.  Trust and courage is a problem.  Only one petitioner started before the primary and is still collecting names.  One other “write-in” couldn’t find the Ute Water building for the Mesa County Sheriff Association forum that was pre-scheduled weeks in advance, now has a “Tea Party” endorsement.  He is not a long term planner by any stretch of the imagination and most of what he talked about at the forum when he did get there was his own lack of knowledge about how to run a Sheriff’s office and using dogs.

I have a vision for the Mesa County Sheriff’s position.  Without trustworthy, committed and sure-footed leadership, this county will suffer.  Leadership requires projecting planning into the future and trying to anticipate, as much as possible, unforeseen situations that could have an adverse effect on our community.

The Grand Valley is a unique area, in a geologically unique position between two of the Southwest’s biggest cities.  If those cities call for more power or more water, the Sheriff’s Office will bear the impact from ramifications that could occur.  An example to easily visualize is a blackout due to lack of electricity.  A community left in the dark is a vulnerable community.  Prevention is the key.  As in healthcare, prevention reduces costs and ensures stable longevity. 

Despite the media’s efforts, I have been and will continue to run a grassroots effort to be elected by Mesa County citizens.  I will put my efforts into achieving a long term plan to ensure a viable, safe and healthy community.  Who better to put your trust, then in a Registered Nurse?

A real choice for Sheriff, Write-In Benita Phillips for Sheriff.  If you want to help me please email me at ranchita3553@gmail.com.