Cooper lines up Elk Grove Council Members’ endorsements In Race Against Jones

Elk Grove Council Member Jim Cooper recently announced that he has been endorsed by fellow council members Gary Davis and Sophia Scherman in his bid to become the next sheriff of Sacramento County.

Cooper, a 27-year veteran with the sheriffs department, is seeking to replace John McGinness who decided not to seek a second term. Cooper will face Sacramento County Sheriffs Department veteran Captain Scott Jones and former sheriff Brett Daniel in next June’s primary.

At the launch of Jones’ campaign, Jones biggest back Sheriff John McGinness announced the Elk Grove Mayor Pat Hume was endorsing Jones. Within hours Hume disavowed McGinness’ statements and said he had not yet made an endorsement. To date Hume has not made an endorsement.

Conversely, Elk Grove council member Steve Detrick has gone on record saying that at this point he will not endorse any of the candidates.

While Coopers and Jones are the heavy favorites, a third candidate increases the chance that neither will win a majority of votes and will face off next November. The third candidate is perennial sheriff candidate and for sheriff Bret Daniels.


Cooper, Jones – Questionable behavior investigated; Daniels fired from sheriff department


Although Cooper and Jones are high ranking sheriff’s department veterans, they both have skeletons in their law enforcement closets.

According to a recently published story by the Sacramento News and Review, Cooper was the subject of an internal affairs investigations regarding alleged sexual harassment against a female civilian employee.

According to the SN&R story, Jones was placed on administrative leave after the U.S Attorney investigated allegations he tried assisting a bail bondsmen cash a $3.8 million Treasury Department check.

Although he cleared, the bondsmen was convicted in 2006 of possession of stolen mail and passports and got 20 months in prison.

The third candidate, former Sacramento County Sheriff Bret Daniel, was fired from the department in 2000. According to a story in the Elk Grove Citizen, Daniels was fired following an incident when he asked a Tucson college police officer for permission to use a police computer to locate a friend and lying about it in subsequent investigations. Daniels said the investigations were politically motivated.

Given the background of each of the three candidates, it is understandable why Detrick has not made an endorsement. Perhaps he is waiting for a higher caliber candidate to enter the race.