Clackamas County has a new interim sheriff, and the decision is already drawing questions about process and political influence.

The Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 on Tuesday, July 28, to appoint retired Captain James Rhodes to lead the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, according to OregonLive. Rhodes is set to take over Monday, August 3, the same day the candidate filing period opens for the permanent position.

Commissioners Paul Savas, Diana Helm, Ben West, and Martha Schrader voted yes. Board Chair Craig Roberts, a former sheriff who once supervised Rhodes, cast the lone no vote.

The move overrode outgoing Sheriff Angela Brandenburg's plan to have Undersheriff Jesse Ashby serve as interim. Brandenburg's last day was Monday, July 27, when the County Clerk formally declared the position vacant.

Union backing drove the vote

The board acted the same day it received a letter from Ben Wiley, president of the Clackamas County Peace Officers Association, urging "swift and decisive action" and specifically requesting Rhodes.

West made the motion and argued the office needs someone who knows the sheriff's budget inside and out and will be honest with the board about what's happening in the department. Commissioner Savas cited the union's support as a key factor, noting the association had "some friction points" with Brandenburg. Commissioner Helm called the lengthy screening process she went through for her own commission seat "cumbersome" and urged faster action.

The Peace Officers Association backed the campaigns of West, Helm, and Savas ahead of the May 2026 primary. State campaign finance records show West received $30,000, Savas received $15,000, and Helm received $3,000 from the union.

Roberts wanted an open process

Chair Roberts argued the quick appointment hands Rhodes the advantage of incumbency. West said Rhodes plans to seek election to the permanent position in November.

"I'm not saying that it can't be him, but to me, the fair and equitable way would be to do a process," Roberts said at the July 28 meeting. "Whoever wants to put in, come in, and then this board does a process and makes a decision based on that."

Rhodes's background

Rhodes started as a deputy in the late 1990s and rose through the ranks. Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training records show he briefly held the undersheriff title, was demoted to captain in 2019, and retired in 2021.

In 2018, Rhodes was named in a whistleblower lawsuit filed by retired Sgt. Matt Swanson, who alleged supervisors created a hostile work environment after he reported a detective ignoring sexual assault and child abuse cases.

Swanson alleged Rhodes, then a captain, pressed him to revise his complaint and attempted to "bully and coerce" him. The county settled for $235,000.

Rhodes was traveling in Australia at the time of the vote and could not be reached for comment on July 28.

November election takes shape

The same day, Undersheriff Brad O'Neil announced his candidacy for the permanent sheriff position. O'Neil has served the county for more than 27 years in roles including deputy, K-9 handler, sergeant, and patrol captain, according to the Lake Oswego Review.

In a press release, O'Neil said response times in rural and unincorporated areas can be shortened and that the public deserves a sheriff's office that explains how it spends their money.

According to the Clackamas County Clerk, the filing period closes at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25. The sheriff position will appear on the Tuesday, November 3 ballot for a four-year term.

West was defeated in the May primary by Lake Oswego lawyer Sonya Fischer. Commissioners Savas and Helm face runoffs in November.

The Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement to unincorporated areas of Clackamas County, including Stafford and areas outside city limits; Lake Oswego, West Linn, and Oregon City maintain their own police departments.