September 06, 2002

GOP should pick DuBois

In the primary for the Orange County sheriff's race, integrity at the top of the ticket is critical.

Four years ago, this newspaper reluctantly endorsed Frank Bigger for re-election as Orange County sheriff with a lukewarm editorial that took note of his lax management of his office. The editorial said "…Øtaxpayers …Øhave the right to expect him to set a tone of efficiency, integrity and accountability under which slacking on duties, supervisory or otherwise, will not be tolerated."

Bigger, involved in one scandal after another in his second term, has failed utterly to deliver that tone and long ago forfeited any right to even lukewarm support.

As he seeks re-election again, the sheriff is engaged in a primary for the Republican Party nomination with Carl DuBois, a former Middletown police lieutenant and former Mount Hope town justice.

DuBois has made Bigger's slipshod management and lack of accountability the chief issue in his campaign. That campaign has crystallized a cleavage in the Republican Party that was dramatically punctuated with a call by the party's county chairman for Bigger to withdraw from the race.

That move followed calls in this space for Bigger to quit the sheriff's job altogether, but was surprising considering its political source. The chairman, John S. Hicks, admits his public support of DuBois comes with risk to Hicks' future as leader of the GOP in Orange, but he says he's "willing to accept that risk because the threat to the future success of our party, not just in this election, is at stake."

Hicks believes that Bigger's trail of scandal, most recently involving fraudulent petitions to gain the Independence Party line in November, should disqualify him from being at the top of the party ticket in November. He calls Bigger "an embarrassment to the Republican Party."

We agree, but we'd expand that embarrassment to all of Orange County.

A judge has thrown out Bigger's Independence Party petititons and ordered him off the ballot line. A criminal probe is under way by the district attorney. Some employees of the sheriff may be involved. Bigger, typically, says he is not responsible for possibly illegal actions taken on his behalf by people who work for him or who support him politically. He's not even investigating.

DuBois says he wants to return integrity and accountability to the office. He says he will cooperate with county legislators and other police agencies. He has a solid background in police work and the justice system. In short, he has the necessary credentials to carry the GOP banner in the November election and we urge Republicans to grant him that privilege.

(DuBois also has the advantage of carrying the Conservative Party nomination, meaning he will be on the ballot in November even if he loses to Bigger.)

This endorsement does not necessarily mean DuBois will gain this newspaper's support in November against Democratic candidate John Whiffen. Whiffen, Town of Highlands police chief, opposed Bigger last time. Like DuBois, Whiffen correctly identified the need for "strong supervision and leadership" in the Sheriff's Office. Whiffen obviously needs to do a better job this time of explaining how he would provide those necessities. And DuBois needs to articulate his vision of the office more clearly.

Both are preferable to the incumbent, but "Anybody but Bigger" is not enough of a campaign slogan, especially when two candidates are sharing it.

Next Tuesday, though, Orange County Republicans should choose the candidate who will best serve their party's needs and offer all residents a viable alternative to the status quo. That's Carl DuBois.