Deputy guild, corrections association back Felici

Published 1:30 am Friday, June 19, 2026

For perhaps the first time, the organizations representing deputies in the Island County Sheriff’s Office voted to endorse a candidate to lead the department.

Both the Island County Deputy Sheriffs Guild and the Island County Corrections Association endorsed Sheriff Rick Felici for reelection. Felici recently posted the letters of endorsement on his campaign website.

“Regardless of the outcome of this election, this will be one of the most meaningful moments of my career,” he wrote.

Felici said he has worked in the department since 1994 and held nearly every commissioned position. In that time, he said, he has never seen a guild endorse a candidate for sheriff.

In separate interviews, Felici and representatives from the guild and association stressed that he didn’t ask for the endorsements.

Nevertheless, Langley Police Chief Tavier Wasser, a former sheriff’s deputy and Felici’s opponent in the election, said the decision to make the endorsements was unusual and potentially fraught. He said he was approached by deputies who support him.

“I know that they are scared that if they speak up, there will be repercussions,” he said.

Wasser also alleged that supervisors within the organizations encouraged members to vote on an endorsements, which he felt was inappropriate. He noted that a majority of deputies have less than five years of service, meaning many did not work with him during his time at the sheriff’s office and may not know him well.

Detective Tim Davison, the president of the sheriff’s guild, said the labor organization represents 42 commissioned officers, specifically patrol deputies, patrol lieutenants, patrol sergeants and detectives. He said the voting was done by anonymous ballots and an ”overwhelming majority” supported the endorsement.

Davison pointed to the large number of younger deputies in the sheriff’s office, saying their willingness to speak out reflects a generational difference.

“There’s been a culture shift,” he said. “People are very vocal about what they believe in.”

The Corrections Association represents the corrections deputies who work in the jail. Bucklin said the vote to endorse Felici was 23-1 and attributed the support to the department’s culture and training opportunities.

Bucklin said some corrections deputies have received as many as 200 hours of training. He said the department regularly holds joint training sessions for patrol and corrections deputies, an approach he described as both unusual and effective. Bucklin, for example, is a de-escalation instructor.

Bucklin said the sheriff understands the importance of the work they do and invests in corrections deputies.

“We’re not forward facing and so a lot of people forget about us,” he said, “but the sheriff doesn’t forget about us.”

As importantly, he said Felici understands that increasing public safety includes efforts to reduce recidivism. The jail has many evidence-based programs, including treatment for substance abuse and reentry programs, that started under Felici’s leadership.

As for Felici, who is running as politically independent, he said he was honored by the endorsements and hopes they mean that his staff trusts him.

Wasser, a Democrat, said he isn’t overly concerned about the endorsements.

“We’re running a grassroots campaign. It’s definitely difficult to unseat an incumbent, but it’s very doable,” he said. “I’ve gotten a ton of support.”