The race to be the county’s next top cop has drawn an eclectic cast of candidates.

In 2023, Monterey County will have a new sheriff in town. Incumbent Sheriff Steve Bernal announced in October that he would forgo a re-election bid after an embattled eight-year reign. The tension came to a head when the Board of Supervisors voted last May to censure Bernal over what the District Attorney called a misuse of taxpayer dollars – Bernal used on-the-clock deputies to entertain and ferry around attendees of a statewide sheriffs conference in 2019.

Supervisors have since explored creating a civilian sheriff’s oversight board but tabled the issue until 2023. The next sheriff will take over a position that increasingly finds itself at odds with local elected leaders, and a department facing issues of morale and fiscal management.

Despite the obstacles, the job posting for the county’s top cop has attracted a cast of candidates that bring a wealth of law enforcement experience. Since joining the sheriff’s department in 1994 as a deputy, Joe Moses has ascended the ranks to captain. Moses is facing a defamation lawsuit for his role in the 2018 sheriff’s race, when he publicly accused Bernal’s opponent of money laundering, despite bringing no charges against the accused. With $260,000, Moses has raised more money than his opponents combined. Moses tells the Weekly’s editorial board he supports sheriff oversight, but does not outright support a civilian-led board.

Marina Police Chief Tina Nieto brings 33 years of law enforcement experience to her campaign. After a decade in the Army, Nieto began her law enforcement career with the Los Angeles Police Department, where she became the LAPD’s first Latina police captain. She is president of the Monterey County Chiefs Law Executive Association and, in 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Nieto to the state’s Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission. Nieto has raised more than $80,000 and earned the support of the Monterey County Deputy Sheriff’s Association and the county’s Democratic party. Nieto supports a civilian oversight board but says the sheriff should be involved with structuring its membership.

Jeff Hoyne enters the race as a man with three jobs – Del Rey Oaks police chief, Monterey Regional Airport police chief, and Del Rey Oaks assistant city manager. Hoyne, who arrived in Monterey County by way of a national search for the next police chief for the airport, previously served as an officer and sergeant in Colorado and Washington. He has raised $59,000. Hoyne supports the creation of a civilian oversight board as long as oversight is data-driven and the sheriff is involved in structuring the board.

Justin Patterson has spent all of his 21 years in law enforcement with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. Patterson has criticized the department for its money management and what he views as a highly politicized culture that values loyalty over qualifications. Supporters include Sheriff Richard Mack, founder of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, an organization whose members claim sheriffs have the constitutional power to refuse to enforce federal laws. The Anti-Defamation League describes the organization as “an anti-government extremist group.” Patterson says he would support an oversight board that is made up of current or former law enforcement officers and experts.