Mesa County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Ross Young formally announced his candidacy for sheriff Tuesday afternoon, at an event that packed the house at Mountain Air Roasters Coffee in Grand Junction.
In a brief speech to the crowd, which included several current and former law enforcement officials, Young -- who has been in law enforcement for 18 years -- said he was proud to call Mesa County home, vowing to strengthen its public safety and support its officers, if elected.
"As your next sheriff, I will lead with courage, character and commitment, not as slogans, not as talking points, but as principles that will guide every decision that I make," Young said. "Your sheriff's office will take a firm stance against crime that impacts our families. We will lead proactively, use smarter tactics, increase community engagement and strategic enforcement to prevent crime before it happens."
The campaign's debut comes just under a year out from the 2026 election, but on the heels of current Sheriff Todd Rowell's announcement that he wouldn't seek re-election to the office he's held since July of 2021.
It remains to be seen what opposition Young, a Republican, might face in the primary or general elections to come. The candidate said he was eager to get his name and message out to constituents in the meantime.
"When I found out that Sheriff Rowell wasn't going to seek another term, I took it upon myself to throw my hat in the ring," Young said. "I know our community well; I know our deputies incredibly well. Coming as an internal candidate, nobody will understand the intricacies of the Mesa County Sheriff's Office better than I will."
Young, a Colorado native, moved to Mesa County in 2001 to attend CMU, according to his campaign website. He was hired by the MCSO as a detention deputy in 2007 before transferring to patrol duty and eventually the county's street crimes unit.
He went on to take a job with the Fruita Police Department in 2013, but in 2018 returned to the sheriff's office—where he currently leads the department's property crimes unit as well as its peer support program.
In his address Tuesday afternoon, Young said he was committed to the community.
"Mesa County is my home; it's where I built my career; it's where my family lives; and it's where I've chosen to serve," he said. "I believe deeply in the strength of this county and the strength of the people who call it home."
Young has a history of public education efforts, leading programs on fraud, vandalism, cryptocurrency scams and child victim rights in recent years. He's also won a handful of accolades, including the recent Unparalleled Community Impact Award from Affidian Credit Union, and being named a top instructor at the Western Colorado Peace Officer's Academy four times from 2018-2021.
While not an official endorsement, Sheriff Rowell referred to Young as, "an internal candidate that is fully qualified to run this organization," in an interview with the Sentinel last week.