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Derek Sanders

Independent · WA · Thurston County Sheriff

Official website

Derek Sanders is the 24th Sheriff of Thurston County. Before his election as sheriff and taking office in January 2023, he served six years as a Thurston County deputy and received the Medal of Valor and two Lifesaving awards.

Track record

Public Safety and Crime Control

· 4 records

  • Deployed a spike strip during a pursuit that ended in five arrests and publicly defended the Sheriff’s Office’s use of vehicle pursuits.

    February 27, 2025For

    Source: fox13seattle.com · researched July 25, 2026

  • Publicly backed a 0.2% sales tax dedicated to public safety, saying proceeds were designated for at least 28 additional patrol deputies.

    August 1, 2023For

    Source: thurstoncountywa.gov · researched July 25, 2026

  • Testified in support of creating a no-fee Hope Card program for people with full civil protection orders under HB 1766.

    February 14, 2023For

    Source: lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov · researched July 25, 2026

  • Testified in support of HB 1363, which expanded the circumstances in which Washington law-enforcement officers could initiate vehicle pursuits.

    January 31, 2023For

    Source: lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov · researched July 25, 2026

Civil Rights

· 1 record

  • Suspended a deputy without pay for a derogatory comment about women in law enforcement; a grievance arbitration upheld the punishment.

    September 10, 2024For

    Source: kiro7.com · researched July 25, 2026

General

· 1 record

  • Testified under the other position on SB 5533, a bill creating a model vehicle-pursuit policy work group and a pursuit-technology grant program.

    January 30, 2023

    Source: lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov · researched July 25, 2026

Integrity and Ethics

· 3 records

  • Was the subject of six open Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission certification cases, including three alleging misconduct in social-media use; reporting said none of the sheriff cases examined had reached investigation.

    April 24, 2026

    Source: spokesman.com · researched July 25, 2026

  • Testified in opposition to SB 5974, which proposed statewide eligibility, background-check, certification, and volunteer-role rules for sheriffs and other law-enforcement leaders.

    January 15, 2026

    Source: lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov · researched July 25, 2026

  • Hired former Tacoma officer Christopher Burbank, then accepted his resignation two days later and apologized for failing to consider the community impact of the hire.

    April 3, 2024

    Source: fox13seattle.com · researched July 25, 2026

Elections

  • County Sheriff · August 4, 2026 · Thurston County, Washington · incumbent

Profile last researched July 25, 2026.