Bedford beats Johnson County Sheriff Hayden in August Primary
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After a dramatic campaign season, the results are in for the Johnson County Sheriff GOP Primary candidate.
According to the polls, Doug Bedford won the vote unofficially by 12%, beating Sheriff Calvin Hayden 56% to 44% (23,572 votes to 18,372 votes) in the Republican race, and solidifying a spot on the November General Election against Democratic candidate Byron K. Roberson.
The drama leading up to the Primary Election came weeks after former Johnson County Sheriff Frank Denning endorsed Bedford instead of current Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden back in July.
Sheriff Hayden has faced significant criticism for his investigation into alleged 2020 election voter fraud.
According to the Associated Press (AP), Hayden launched an investigation after the results of Johnson County’s 2020 General Election polls came in, resulting in a win from President Joe Biden and a loss from former President Donald Trump.
The theory that fraudulent voting was present at the polls largely stems from former President Donald Trump’s claims that the last election was stolen from the Republican party, leading many other U.S. officials to launch their own investigations.
He also said that the county received many tips about potential irregularities in the ballot box, but no criminal charges have been filed.
Sheriff Hayden’s handling of the matter has received substantial backlash and national attention after he provided no legitimate pieces of evidence of any fraud or voter manipulation.
Specifically, state and local officials refute Hayden’s claims, insisting the election was secure and demanding that Hayden produce evidence. Since the investigation was launched over two years ago, Hayden has refused to release any details but remains adamant that the investigation is necessary.
In early July, he suspended the investigation and blamed it on Johnson County’s destruction of 2019, 2020 and 2021 ballots in February. However, a report from AP states that even though the destruction of the votes was over 17 months late, it is still “in line with state law.”
Although there is drama on the Republican front, the Democratic candidate, Byron K. Roberson, is strolling along into the November polls as the only nominee for the party.
Roberson announced his candidacy in November 2023 and has publicly been endorsed by four Kansas police chiefs since. He, alongside GOP challenger Bedford, have devoted their campaigns to taking over Sheriff Hayden’s role.
GOP Candidates
Calvin Hayden
Elected as Johnson County Sheriff in 2017, Hayden grew up in De Soto, Kan. and served in the United States Army Reserves, 159th Military Police, and the 406th Engineer Batallion.
Hayden has worked in the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office for 36 years and also served as an undercover officer with the City-County Investigative Squad, a uniformed patrol officer, a dispatcher, and a firearms instructor/armorer.
His campaign centers around four main goals:
Ensuring the safety and well-being of Johnson County citizens with a transparent approach
Upholding justice consistently while respecting the rule of law
Safeguarding the principles outlined in the Constitution of the United States of America
Striving to build upon the high professional standards of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office
Doug Bedford
Bedford served on U.S. Navy Seal Team Three and was a former Undersheriff for Johnson County. Bedford is a DeSoto native with extensive experience in law enforcement, including work with Kansas State Police, an Agent with the Kansas Alcoholic Beverage Control, and many other roles within the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.
Bedford aims to “instill transparency, trust and teamwork” in the Sheriff’s Office and wants to strengthen relationships between the community, law enforcement and other state agencies and focus his leadership on public safety.
Democratic Candidate
Byron K. Roberson
With 30 years of experience in law enforcement, Roberson started his career serving in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve before working as an undercover narcotics officer, emergency management coordinator and SWAT team leader. He is also the first Black police chief in Prairie Village history.
Roberson’s campaign said he has the support of four former Johnson County police chiefs — former Lenexa Police Chiefs Ellen Hansen and Tom Hongslo, and former Merriam Police Chiefs Tim Burnett and Ben Hadley.
He aims to open the lines of communication between law enforcement and the public and hopes to partner with local departments to create a safer Johnson County. He also aims to prioritize mental health, specifically crisis intervention and de-escalation training for officers.
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