Hales leads Wasatch County sheriff race as indicted incumbent Rigby prepares to leave office

Unofficial results show Hales with 68% of the vote as the county prepares for a leadership transition.

WASATCH COUNTY, Utah — Republican Jeremy Hales holds a commanding lead in the Wasatch County sheriff’s race, according to unofficial election results, as the county prepares for a leadership change following the criminal indictment of outgoing Sheriff Jared Rigby.

According to Wasatch County’s election results, Hales received 8,635 votes, or 68.11%, compared with 4,043 votes, or 31.89%, for unaffiliated candidate Paul Moore. All 53 precincts have reported, according to results updated Thursday morning.

Hales, Wasatch County’s emergency management director, defeated Rigby in the June 23 Republican primary. The primary followed the public disclosure of a criminal investigation involving Rigby but preceded his September indictment by a grand jury.

Rigby faces a second-degree felony charge of obstruction of justice and a class B misdemeanor charge of making a written false statement, according to TownLift’s previous reporting.

The charges stem from allegations involving an anonymous letter questioning the credibility of Summit County Sheriff’s Detective Eric Mainord, who was involved in the Kouri Richins murder investigation and briefly ran against Rigby for sheriff. The Summit County Attorney’s Office began investigating after receiving the letter in January.

Rigby has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

On Oct. 21, the Wasatch County Council unanimously accepted Rigby’s offer to take voluntary paid administrative leave. Undersheriff Josh Probst assumed responsibility for the Sheriff’s Office’s day-to-day operations during Rigby’s absence.

Rigby has not resigned and remains the elected sheriff while on leave. His term is scheduled to end Jan. 4, 2027.

The Nov. 3 election results remain unofficial pending certification.