A Shawano County sheriff’s captain and a Shawano police officer have taken out papers to run against Sheriff Randy Wright in the Republican primary this fall.
Officer Adam Bieber took nomination papers out on Tuesday and Capt. Tom Tuma on Wednesday, according to the Shawano County Clerk’s office.
They and Wright each have until 5 p.m. June 2 to return 200 signatures to get on the ballot.
The primary for the Republican nomination will be held Aug. 12.
The general election will be held Nov. 4, but barring any Democratic challenger stepping forward, the August primary could decide the race for sheriff.
“It should be a good race,” said Wright, who has been sheriff since 2007. It is a four-year term.
Prior to being sheriff, Wright was a police officer with the Shawano Police Department.
“I believe I have been doing what I promised to do: keeping the citizens of Shawano County safe and secure and maintaining the sheriff’s office,” Wright said. “I hope the citizens of Shawano County will see it that way.”
Tuma said he doesn’t see his bid for the office as necessarily a challenge to Wright.
“I’m applying for a job, not running against the sheriff,” he said. “He’s a good and decent man who has served the community for 38 years.”
Tuma said he has the utmost respect for Wright and Bieber and any law enforcement officer.
Tuma, who will have been with the department for 25 years in August, said there are challenging issues ahead.
“The current state of the economy and the issues before the sheriff’s office are extremely complex,” he said.
Tuma said he believes he has the abilities and education to address challenges that include budget cuts, inflation and uncontrollable costs that make it difficult to maintain services and be proactive.
“We need to find creative ways to work with the County Board,” he said.
Bieber said he had no agenda and was not suggesting there is anything wrong with the current direction of the Sheriff’s Department. He said it has always been his goal to be in a leadership position and he felt the time was right.
Bieber said communication with other agencies and elected officials is important. He also said he would bring a different point of view to the table.
“I’m a conservative and we have to be wise with taxpayer dollars,” Bieber said. “The citizens expect us to use their money wisely.”
Bieber has worked in law enforcement for 14 years and has been with the Shawano Police Department since 2003.