Officer who won Missoula claim to be sheriff

MISSOULA — A Missoula County sheriff’s sergeant who won a discrimination claim against the county has been elected sheriff.

Detective Sgt. T.J. McDermott won a three-way Democratic primary with 52 percent of the vote on Tuesday. There were no Republican candidates, meaning he likely will serve as the county’s next sheriff.

“I really hope to provide a sheriff’s office that we can be proud of and we can trust to do a good job serving the community we live in,” McDermott said.

McDermott and Deputy Jason Johnson alleged Sheriff Carl Ibsen, an independent, discriminated against them after McDermott announced he was going to run for sheriff and name Johnson as his deputy if he won.

McDermott didn’t release the details of his complaint, but Johnson’s said he lost his post as public information officer and took a pay cut. Each received $60,000 in a February settlement with the county after a Human Rights Bureau investigation.

Dennis Unsworth investigated the claims. Patrol Sgt. Bill Burt told Unsworth that Ibsen told him on at least three occasions that he would “do anything within his power” to prevent McDermott from being elected sheriff, including running again himself.

Undersheriff Josh Clark received 30 percent of the vote in the primary, followed by Robert Parcell with nearly 18 percent.

Ibsen is retiring at the end of his term.

Clark has not commented. Parcell announced his candidacy for sheriff in 2018, but said he wouldn’t file as a Democrat.

Campaign records indicate McDermott raised nearly $58,000 and loaned his campaign $40,000 while Clark raised nearly $22,000 and loaned himself around $12,000. Parcell spent less than $1,000, mostly his own money.

“Congratulations to Missoula County,” Parcell said. “You now have the best sheriff that money, endorsements, influences and political intrigue can buy.”

In the race for county attorney, former deputy county attorney Kirsten Pabst outpolled Josh Van de Wetering 58 percent to 34 percent in the Democratic primary. There were no Republican candidates, meaning Pabst will replace the retiring Fred Van Valkenburg.

“We need to have policies and procedures in place to assure accountability in the office,” Pabst said. “I also want to make sure we show compassion for people going through the system. I think those are some of the things that have been lacking.”

The federal Department of Justice announced in May 2012 that it was investigating the way the Missoula police, University of Montana campus police and the county attorney’s office handled sexual assault cases. Police and the university reached an agreement with the DOJ in May 2013, but Van Valkenburg has refused to turn over records, questioning the DOJ’s authority over his office. Van Valkenburg filed a lawsuit against the DOJ in February asking a judge to make a ruling on whether the agency has jurisdiction.