We asked Snohomish County Sheriff candidates why they’re running for office

One candidate is running for re-election. The other, says they’re running to ‘restore trust’.

The showdown for Snohomish County Sheriff continued Monday, with Sheriff Adam Fortney and challenger Susanna Johnson toting more than 25 years of experience a piece, serving the office they plan to lead.

Incumbent Adam Fortney has been with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department since 1996. He was elected Sheriff in 2019 and survived a failed recall election in 2021.

Susanna Johnson currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Bothell Police, following her retirement from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department after 30 years of service. She hopes to return to the department.

We asked each candidate what initially prompted them to run for office.

Johnson focused on gaining the public’s trust.

“We actually are finding that people are less likely to call 911 when we have diminished public trust,” said Johnson. “So, for me, I think that we need to do a much better job with public trust right now in this position. I think a lot of those other things will come from it.”

Fortney led with his commitment to better public safety.

“When I ran in 2019, I didn’t like the direction the of Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office,” said Sheriff Fortney. “I had a couple decades of service in me. And I thought we could go down a stronger path of public safety. I think I’ve brought that in the last four years. And that’s absolutely what I’m going to continue in the next four years.”

Fortney said tackling the fentanyl crisis will also remain a priority if reelected.

As much as I’m the law and order guy, I want to be the compassion guy too,” said Fortney. “When people are in our care, we’re responsible for them. We’re about to start a recovery module at the Snohomish County Jail for those that are willing to start their path to recovery, they’ll have access to that.”

Johnson countered.

“I feel uniquely situated compared to my opponent because I worked narcotics for eight and a half years,” said Johnson. “So not only was I an undercover detective, but I worked in a regional drug task force. So I understand the importance of the cases and how to build them.”

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