‘Feels like a knife in the back.’ Candidate Culp learns his city defunded his police dept—and his job—by 100%

After a second round of numbers put Republican gubernatorial candidate Loren Culp behind Governor Inslee by 600,000 votes Wednesday, Culp told thousands of loyal supporters that he found out he also lost his job as the Chief of Police of Republic, WA, as well.

“Come to find out a couple days before this election, the city council had a special meeting,” Culp said. “Not their normally scheduled meeting but a special meeting, and they voted to defund the police department, including my job.”

Culp shared a nine-minute Facebook Live message with thousands of viewers, telling them his tiny hometown of Republic, where Culp served as the city’s police chief—and the only police officer for years, voted to eliminate the city’s police department, which had been in existence for 120 years.

Culp said he was stunned by the move. “Feels like a knife in the back,” he said.

KIRO-7 learned Republic opted to pay the Ferry County Sheriff’s office for police service, but Culp says he was never part of that process.

The order was voted on October 30 by three council members with one voting against. Neither the Mayor, nor any of the city’s councilmembers replied to KIRO-7′s request for comment. The Ferry County Sheriff referred all inquiries to the Republic Mayor.

“They’re small minded people playing political games,” Culp said, urging his supporters to “let the council know” about the defunding.

Culp said he took a leave of absence in late August to run for Governor, and added no official from the City of Republic ever let him know about the layoff in advance.

“No ‘Hey Loren, thanks, but we don’t need you anymore.’ They just voted to defund the police department, and with that went my job.”

Cox Media Group