CLACKAMAS COUNTY Ore. (KPTV) – Former Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts unseated current County President Tootie Smith, who has yet to concede. FOX 12 called the race for Roberts on election night.

“I feel very blessed that so many voters believed in my vision,” Roberts said. Current counts have him ahead of Smith by 57% to 42%.

He said it was a grassroots effort that unseated incumbent President Smith after Roeb’s four years in office.

“One of the things I heard was that people didn’t feel like they were being heard,” Roberts said.

Roberts worked with the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Department for four decades and served four terms as sheriff before removing the badge in 2021. As a citizen, he said he grew tired of waiting for local government to act.

“I, like a lot of people, was watching what was happening locally and across the country and expecting things to happen, I really was,” Roberts said. “I finally made that decision: I have a lot to offer.”

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The president-elect said he intends to achieve a reset that begins with a “deep dive” into the county budget.

“At the top of my list is financial responsibility and transparency; I have concerns,” Roberts said, listing a new court as one of his concerns. The building is scheduled to be completed next year, but Roberts said the county has not been honest about its cost to taxpayers.

“Good news and bad news. I will be honest, open and transparent,” Roberts said.

He says his passion as sheriff was mental health treatment, something he intends to continue as president by expanding his reach in the county.

“We need, in our county, a mental health center as an urgent care model that people can go to 24 hours a day,” Roberts said. He also said he would like to see 24-hour emergency response options from social workers or officers trained in mental health crises.

Clackamas County is still counting more than 40,000 ballots. The incumbent said she is waiting for every vote to be counted, a process the county estimates will continue into next week. Smith told FOX 12 in a statement:

“I would like to thank the people of Clackamas County who voted in this election. As the county continues to receive ballots, it is important that every vote be counted. To honor every vote, I will wait to air more announcements.”

The latest figures show Roberts leading with 57%, compared to Smith with 42%.

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