The Pueblo County Sheriff ’s race features two veteran law enforcement candidates.
Brief Biography: Medina: I am a U.S. Army veteran with 31 years of law enforcement experience dedicated to protecting Colorado communities.
I spent 28 years with the Pueblo County Sheriff ’s Office, serving 25 of those years as a sergeant across patrol, detentions, and investigations.
I am currently serving as a State Parole Officer with the Colorado Department of Corrections; I bring frontline leadership and hands-on operational insight to the office. I am a lifelong public servant rooted in Pueblo County, and have spent my career mentoring deputies, collaborating with regional partners, and ensuring accountability, transparency, and safety for every resident across our diverse rural and urban communities.
Mora: Pueblo is my hometown, I grew up in Pueblo and after graduating from Central High School, I joined the Colorado Army National Guard, where I served 20 honorable years, retiring as a First Sergeant.
I served 27 years with the Pueblo County Sheriff ’s Office. I proudly wore the badge as a deputy, serving as a sergeant, lieutenant, and captain.
My formal education includes a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Colorado State University-Pueblo.
I am a graduate of the 255th session of the FBI National Academy which is recognized as one of the nation’s premier executive leadership programs.
I have been married to my wife Kathy for 28 years, we have four children, 6 grandchildren and two grand pups.
Why did you decide to run for Pueblo County Sheriff?
Medina: I stepped forward because Pueblo County deserves experienced, boots-on-theground leadership that prioritizes stability, accountability, and community trust. Having spent nearly three decades inside PCSO, I know our strengths and where we must improve.
I will eliminate the learning curve on Day One, support our dedicated deputies, restore labor peace, and ensure that every neighborhood— from the city center to the Greenhorn Valley—receives responsive, professional, and equitable public safety coverage.
Mora: I believe our community is at the crossroads of change and as a transformational leader I want to use my skills and talents to help bring a positive change not only to the sheriff ’s office, but to the community it serves.
As a leader I have been preparing for this moment for 30 years.
My original plan was to run in the last election, but due to medical reasons I was unable to run. I believe now is the time for me as a leader to step forward and give the county as return on their investment they poured into me for 27 years. I am a balanced leader who can bring leadership, experience, and education to help build a brighter and sustainable future for our community.
What is the most important issue facing the PCSO?
Medina: Stabilizing retention and resolving staffing shortages is the single most urgent issue.
Overcrowding in the jail, mandatory overtime in both bureaus compromise safety inside the jail and compromise valuable resources in rural patrol.
My Day-One priority is stabilizing retention, conducting comprehensive operational reviews, and restructuring shift schedules from 8-hour to 10- or 12-hour shifts.
This transition will maximize street and facility coverage, lower unsustainable overtime costs, and give personnel predictable rest to spend with their families.
A safe, fully staffed, and wellmanaged staff is the operational foundation for effective countywide law enforcement.
Mora: Retention of staff and recruitment are serious problems with the sheriff ’s office. The office is currently operating with 61 vacancies which is causing burnout and driving employees leaving the organization. To add to the crisis, the Board of County Commissioners is now requiring a 10% reduction in staff for each elected official for the budget year 2027.
As sheriff, I need to examine the hiring and recruitment process to identify improvement points. This may require outside the box thinking and tapping into hiring pipelines like work centers, colleges and the military.
Employees are the number one resource for the sheriff ’s office, and I believe strong organizations are built by investing in their employees. When people are properly trained, supported, and valued they are better prepared to serve others.
Second most important issue?
Medina: Expanding proactive patrol coverage and safety throughout rural Pueblo County, especially in communities like Colorado City, Rye, and Beulah.
Rural residents often face prolonged emergency response times and rising property crimes. We must strategically redeploy patrol deputies, rebuild our specialized traffic enforcement unit to curb reckless driving and DUI offenses, and establish a consistent community policing presence.
PCSO must foster active communication channels with rural civic groups and business owners, ensuring our deputies are visible, accessible, and equipped to protect homes, livestock, and local roads rather than merely responding after an incident has already occurred.
Mora: Budget cuts. When facing a budget shortfall, I would begin by protecting the core services our community depend on most: patrol, emergency response, jail operations, and public safety.
I would conduct a thorough review of spending, identify inefficiencies, and eliminate unnecessary or duplicative expenses before considering reductions that affect frontline services.
I would also pursue grants, partnerships, and other outside funding opportunities.
Most importantly, I would work openly with Board of County Commissioners, my administration, employees and their union, and the community to establish clear priorities.
Responsible budgeting means making difficult decisions while ensuring taxpayer dollars are used efficiently and public safety remains our highest priority.
Third?
Medina: Restoring accountability, transparency, and internal morale. Trust begins with honest leadership. I will conduct a full forensic audit of our Property and Evidence division, modernize outdated departmental policies, and collaborate directly with labor representatives.
When deputies feel supported, trained, and valued under fair leadership, retention increases, misconduct drops, and our community receives the high standard of service, dignity, and professional integrity it rightfully expects.
Mora: Culture and moral issues: Addressing culture and moral issues within the office begins with establishing clear expectations for integrity, accountability, professionalism, and respect. My vision is to eliminate division within the office by instituting a One Mission, One Team vision.
As sheriff along with my command staff, we will model these values consistently. Regular ethics training, open communication, and confidential reporting systems can help employees raise concerns without fear of retaliation.
Supervisors will be expected to address misconduct promptly.
Building trust within the office and with the community requires transparency, consistent standards, and a willingness to learn from mistakes.
Every employee supported and respected and they understand their responsibility to uphold the law, protect individual rights, and serve the community with integrity.
What else do you want voters to know about you?
Medina: I am not a politician; I am a career public servant who has walked the jail tiers and patrolled every corner of this county. I believe in practical, root-cause solutions paired with firm accountability.
My commitment is to run an open-door Sheriff ’s Office that listens to local concerns, manages taxpayer dollars responsibly, and ensures every resident of Pueblo County feels safe, respected, and protected every single day.
Mora: As Sheriff, my commitment will be straightforward. I will focus on the fundamentals of:
• Public Safety and Public Trust
• Upholding the Constitution to protect the rights of every citizen
• Enforcing of the law with compassion and consistency
• Fiscal responsible with taxpayer’s dollar and county resources • Build and sustain community partnerships
• upport and respect all members of the office It would the greatest honor of my career to serve as your next Sheriff.
