Who'll be No. 2?

Three candidates are vying to replace Kootenai County Sheriff Ben Wolfinger, who is retiring after four two-year terms in office — but the position of sheriff isn’t the only one in play.

The new sheriff will be responsible for choosing an undersheriff to manage the daily operation of the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office.

Candidates Mike Bauer, Justin Nagel and Bob Norris each take a different approach to filling the position.

Bauer, running as an independent, said he has several possible candidates in mind, including KCSO Capt. Kim Edmondson, who ran in the Republican primary.

“I’m looking for somebody with some whiskers,” Bauer said “Someone who has managed an operation about this size or larger.”

Though his preference would be to choose an undersheriff from within the sheriff’s office, Bauer said he’s open to an “outsider.”

In a June 13 email obtained by The Press, former Republican candidate Richard Whitehead endorsed Bauer and said Bauer had asked him to take the undersheriff position in the event that Bauer won the election. Whitehead said in the email that he had accepted the offer.

But this week, Bauer told The Press he is not considering Whitehead for the position and that he was not involved in the writing or sending of the email.

“Rick Whitehead is not going to be my undersheriff under any circumstances,” he said.

However, Bauer said he would consider Whitehead for a position that involved training officers.

He went on to say that if he wins the election, he does not intend for current undersheriff Dan Mattos to remain in the position. Mattos has been with KCSO for 25 years and served as undersheriff for six years.

“I think it’s time to reset the organization,” Bauer said. “I think Dan Mattos is probably a fine gentleman, but I’m not interested in him leading these people for me.”

Conversely, Republican candidate Bob Norris said he would want Mattos to stay on as undersheriff for a transition period lasting four to six months.

“You don’t want to destabilize an organization by having too much change,” Norris said.

Norris said he would use that transition period to observe and assess the organization, then use what he learns to select an undersheriff.

“It will be based on the needs of the organization and the community,” he said.

Because of the undersheriff’s role in the daily operations of the sheriff’s office, Norris said it’s crucial that the person selected for the job has a full understanding of the organization. He said the undersheriff should be a leader, not just a manager.

“I’m looking for somebody with impeccable integrity, a vision for leadership and somebody who sets a great example for the men and women of the sheriff’s office,” Norris said.

Nagel, running as a libertarian, said a commitment to transparency and accountability is a key factor he would consider while choosing an undersheriff.

“We have a problem in the sheriff’s office of covering each other’s mistakes,” Nagel said. “You can’t have somebody who turns a blind eye in any leadership position.”

Nagel said he would consider candidates from within KCSO, as well as from outside the organization.

“I want people to feel free to come forward and interview for the position,” he said.

Nagel said his ideal undersheriff candidate would offer a different perspective than his own. That leads to more complete understanding, he said.

“I shy away from somebody who’s like-minded,” Nagel said. “You have to have a conversation to get all points of view on a topic.”