John W. Urquhart (born November 10, 1947) was the 33rd

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

King County, Washington King County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 2,269,675 in the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Washington, and the 13th-most populous in the United States. The county seat is Seattle, also the st ...

and a Democrat. He served as the county's chief law enforcement official and oversaw the more than 1000 employees of the

King County Sheriff's Office The King County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) is a local police agency in King County, Washington, United States. It is the primary law enforcement agency for all unincorporated areas of King County, as well as 12 cities and two transit agencies which ...

Early life

Urquhart grew up in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

. He attended

Ingraham High School Ingraham High School is a public high school, serving grades 9–12 in the Haller Lake neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. Opened in 1959, the school is named after Edward Sturgis Ingraham, the first superintendent of the Seatt ...

, graduating in 1967 as class president. He then attended the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

, graduating with a

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in business in 1971. He owned an electrical construction materials business in Bellevue, which he sold in 1988.

Career

Urquhart's first job in law enforcement was as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff for the

Island County Island County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 86,857. Its county seat is Coupeville, while its largest city is Oak Harbor. The county's name reflects the fact that it is compose ...

Sheriff's Department, serving from 1975 to 1980. He then joined the

as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff in 1980, eventually becoming in a full-time Deputy Sheriff in 1988. He was voted officer of the year for the Burien precinct in 1991. He was overall officer of the year in 1992. During his 24-year career with the department, he served in a number of roles including: field training officer, narcotics detective, sergeant, administrative aide to the sheriff, and spokesman. He retired in February 2012 and became president of the S.H.E.R.I.F.F. Fund, a non-profit organization. In late 2012, Urquhart decided to enter the race for King County Sheriff, a non-partisan elected office. He was elected as King County Sheriff in November 2012, defeating Republican Steve Strachan with 56 percent of the vote. He immediately hired Anne Kirkpatrick, chief of the Spokane Police Department, as his second in command. In 2016, a lawsuit was filed against Urquhart, alleging that he had raped a former sheriff's deputy in 2002. Another former deputy accused Urquhart of groping him; the deputy received $160,000 in an unusual settlement that was not approved by the King County Executive's office. Some old class mates of his also stepped forward to share stories of harassment they experienced at the hands of Urquhart. Urquhart ran for reelection as King County Sheriff in 2017 and was defeated by challenger Mitzi Johanknecht, a major from the Southwest Precinct.

Personal life

Uruqhart's wife is Shelley. They have two children.

References

External links

*http://johnforsheriff.com/johns-biography/ Campaign Website {{DEFAULTSORT:Urquhart, John Washington (state) sheriffs Living people University of Washington Foster School of Business alumni Politicians from Seattle 1947 births People from Mercer Island, Washington