Editorial: Nores’ decision to withdraw from sheriff’s race admirable

Retired Douglas County Sheriff’s Lt. Mike Nores announced a difficult, yet admirable decision Friday.

He chose to pull out of the two-way race for Douglas County sheriff, leaving sheriff’s Lt. John Hanlin as the lone candidate in November’s general election.

Nores’ move, while based on a combination of factors, appears to put the good of the community and the Sheriff’s Office ahead of his desire to be elected sheriff.

The 35-year law enforcement veteran said he would have difficulty asking community residents to contribute to yet another political campaign in light of the current economic conditions.

“I believe that we need to be sensitive to the fact that so many of our citizens are struggling to simply maintain their lifestyle in our current economy,” Nores said in a prepared statement announcing his withdrawal from the race.

In a phone interview, Nores said economics were the primary factor in his decision but he had also experienced a death in his family, someone really close to him, shortly after the primary. And since he has been retired, he’s begun to treasure the time with his wife, Evelyn, and their children. He’s not willing to give that up for more time in a demanding job in law enforcement.

His recognition of the current county budget situation with the loss of the federal timber safety net funds also led to his decision.

“History teaches us that during times of extended economic challenges, we see a rise in crimes while we face a reduction in law enforcement budgets. This potential weighs greatly on me as a concerned citizen,” Nores said.

By stepping aside, Nores hopes that Hanlin, who earned county voters’ support with nearly 50 percent of the vote in the primary, can move ahead to make plans for the future of the Sheriff’s Office.

“He’s new at it, but I hope he surrounds himself with the best advisers and managers he can get,” Nores said.

Nores phoned Hanlin Friday to tell him of his decision and he offered to provide any support or advice needed. Hanlin has already said he will retain current Sheriff Jim Burge as undersheriff when he takes office in January. Burge, who was appointed sheriff in late December 2007, chose not to run for election.

Nores had received the endorsement of The News-Review Editorial Board prior to May’s primary election because of his extensive experience in law enforcement in the county.

“It’s hard to express enough appreciation for those who worked on my campaign and supported us. We have over 12,000 people who voted for us,” Nores said.

At the time of our endorsement, we acknowledged that Hanlin, who is 45 and a 19-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, was also an excellent candidate for the post and we hoped he would run again in the future. His opportunity came along sooner than we expected.

We respect Nores’ decision and are confident in Hanlin’s leadership potential. We agree that it’s better for our community to avoid an expensive and contentious sheriff’s campaign and instead begin planning for the future.