A ‘constitutional sheriff’ divided this Washington county. Will the next sheriff keep his ideas alive?

As Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer retires, candidates have distanced themselves from some — not all — of Songer's most controversial positions

By: Jacob Jones

Outlets: InvestigateWest

Published: October 15, 2026

Words: 2,428

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 4 days ago

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This story is a collaboration between InvestigateWest and Bolts, a nonprofit publication that covers criminal justice and voting rights in local governments.

Beneath a wide-brimmed, black cowboy hat, Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer warned in a Facebook video earlier this year that state lawmakers planned to strip voters of the freedom to elect their own local leaders.

“They’ll decide who qualifies to run for sheriff,” Songer said of the Democrats running …

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