Chief Deputy Announces Bid For Grant County Sheriff

A deputy with the Grant County Sheriff's Office (GCSO) has announced his intent to run for the position of Grant County Sheriff in this year's general election.

Ephrata resident Josh Sainsbury is currently the Chief Deputy of Emergency Operations at the GCSO, and has been a law enforcement professional for over 20 years.

Sainsbury joined the GCSO in June, 2002 and has served as the agency's Chief Deputy of Emergency Operations since October, 2021.

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The Ephrata native graduated from his hometown high school in 1994 and began his law enforcement career in 2001 as a reserve officer with the Soap Lake Police Department.

In 2005, Sainsbury was reassigned as the GCSO's Public Works Deputy and received training as a drug recognition expert, prior to switching to the agency's then-newly-created Motor Traffic Unit the following year.

Sainsbury was promoted to sergeant in 2011 and returned to patrol detail for a year before retaining the same rank with the Motor Traffic Unit until taking on his current role with the GCSO in 2021.

His current duties as Chief Deputy of Emergency Operations include overseeing the day-to-day operations of emergency management, as well as several of the agency's special operations units, like its Off-Road Vehicle and Marine Units, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse.

Sainsbury served one year in the position under former sheriff, Tom Jones, and has held the same title under current sheriff, Joe Kriete, since his election in 2022.

In addition to his lengthy history with the GCSO, Sainsbury has also served on the Ephrata School District's Board of Directors since September, 2022.

Kriete has already announced his bid for re-election as sheriff, and Sainsbury is the first to declare a challenge for the same post.

This year's general election will be held on Nov. 3.