JACKSON, Wyo. — Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr is running for a third term in office this year, and he is running his campaign on proven leadership.
Carr, a Democrat, was first elected in 2018, having worked in the Sheriff’s Office since 1999. In the last eight years, the agency has reworked its public safety communication system, which Carr sees as a win for first responders. He told Buckrail that bringing a Teton County Search and Rescue (TSCAR) helicopter to the community was a big task for the organization to take on, and he is grateful for the success. He applauded the office’s ability to aid the local school system with three school resource officers to support local students, and he touted the canine program’s work to combat an increasing flow of dangerous drugs into the valley.
“We’ve forged a lot of great relationships through the last eight years,” Carr said. “A lot with our nonprofits, working with Teton Youth and Family Services, Community Safety Network, One22 — all those organizations that help support the community.”
The veteran official also listed off some current and potential challenges, including immigration and budget constraints. When discussing the current budget challenges facing the Town and County, Carr said his goal is to run the agency as financially responsible as possible. He acknowledged Jackson’s reliance on the immigrant population in the local workforce, saying he wants to support that cohort. However, the Sheriff’s Office cannot ignore domestic violence and drug dealing. In April, local residents and leaders signed a letter asking Carr to cease honoring civil detention requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“[I’m] running on a platform of public safety first,” Carr said. “We’ve had to deal with a lot of the immigration issues that we’re faced with nationally, and we’ve tried to strike a balance there. … But it’s what we’re trying to do to focus on public safety. We always want to support that hardworking immigrant population, but at the same time, when people break the law and continue to break the law, we are forced to hold them accountable for that.”
Carr mentioned the importance of devising a quality aviation program, specifically regarding fiscal responsibility and use of the TCSAR helicopter. He seeks to maintain “critical” partnerships with local organizations in the face of rapid and dramatic changes coming from the federal government, especially regarding the Wildland Fire Service.
The incumbent will face off in November’s general election against Deputy Sheriff Eric Snow, who is running as a Republican.
