List of sheriff applicants grows

BERNALILLO COUNTY (KRQE) - Bernalillo County Commissioners are on a tight deadline to name the next sheriff.

By December, Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White is expected to officially step down to take a job with Albuquerque’s soon-to-be mayor Richard Berry.

County Commissioners have until then to decide who will take his place. The long list of applicants is now over 20 and some commissioners aren't even half way through their interviews.

“I don't know how many I’ve interviewed maybe eight or nine or ten, somewhere in there,” Bernalillo County Commissioner Michael Wiener said.

Commissioner Michael Wiener has heard from at least 20 people interested in the sheriff's position. At least 12 called County Chair Alan Armijo.

Armijo named three applicants that he has interviewed: Conrad Candelaria, Captain with Albuquerque Police Department, Joe Chavez also with APD and Felix Nunez who worked in Sandoval County

The hard part is choosing one.

According to Armijo, each commissioner will nominate the applicant of their choice. Then the commissioners will vote.

“Who ever has the least votes will get eliminated until we finally get to a candidate who has three votes,” Armijo said.

Armijo says they'll vote by November 24th. However, it won’t be that easy since all the applicants all have law enforcement experience.

So some commissioners are looking at other things like nominating someone who's not planning on running for sheriff next year.

“We can always appoint someone who would just go in there and be a place holder and do no harm,” Wiener said.

They can also appoint someone who could shake things up for their campaign.

“It could help them, I think that's what every candidate is running is hoping that it can help them that they're in place already,” Armijo said.

For now commissioners are tight lipped about who's on their short list.

“I haven't interviewed everybody so I'm still waiting,” Armijo said.

“There (sic) are a few people that are standing out,” Wiener said.

Armijo said he knows of three people who say they will not run for the position next year.

White is expected to step down by December 1, 2009.