Rectenwald appointed as interim Grant County Sheriff
Grant County commissioners named Undersheriff Ryan Rectenwald (pictured) as Grant County's interim sheriff following Sheriff Tom Jones' retirement on July 1.
File photo
EPHRATA — Grant County Undersheriff Ryan Rectenwald has been appointed as the interim Grant County Sheriff. Grant County Commissioners approved the appointment Tuesday.
Rectenwald will take over the job until a successor is appointed or elected. He replaces Tom Jones, who announced his retirement June 7. In his retirement announcement, Jones said his last day will be July 1.
The sheriff’s office will be on the November ballot, and Jones announced earlier this year that he would not be running for reelection. The position attracted three candidates, and they are Joe Kriete, currently the GCSO chief deputy for investigations, former Mattawa Police Chief Joe Harris and Moses Lake-area farmer James Baker. With three candidates, the race will be on the Aug. 2 primary ballot.
State law directs that when an officeholder resigns, the party he or she belongs to submits three candidates to replace the former officeholder. In this case that’s the Republican party, and Grant County Republican chair Mike McKee said in an earlier interview that three candidates will be submitted to fill the position from August through November. The choice will be made by the Grant County Commissioners.
McKee said applications will be accepted through July 15. Three candidates will be submitted to the commissioners Aug. 3, he said.