Bob Songer, the self-ascribed “constitutional” law enforcement official who has held the office of Sheriff of Klickitat County since 2014, will not run for a third term as sheriff in the November election.
Songer confirmed he will be retiring after his term expires Dec. 31, 2022, in a phone interview with Columbia Gorge News.
During the interview, Songer cited health issues and his age, 76, as factors in his decision to decline seeking reelection.
Instead, he will be supporting and endorsing Klickitat County Undersheriff Tim Neher for the office of Sheriff. Neher announced his candidacy at a monthly meeting of the Klickitat County Republican Party in December 2021 (related story).
“It’s time to have younger blood in the office, and Tim will do an outstanding job,” Songer said.
During his time as sheriff, Songer was outspoken in his defiance of various state mandates, including Gov. Jay Inslee’s orders on COVID-19 and voter-led initiatives on firearms regulations.
He also oversaw an expansion of the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Posse, a volunteer community policing program that performs search and rescue operations and provides event security services. The posse was subject to scrutiny last year as the sheriff’s office instituted a program that enables posse members to track and hunt cougars threatening households and livestock with the use of hounds.
Songer has 52 years of experience in law enforcement, holding positions in the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, four years as police chief of Elko, Nev., and 13 years as a commissioned timber/range deputy in Klickitat County.
In 2014, Songer ran a successful campaign for Klickitat County Sheriff on a platform of administrating the department during a period of growth in the county, and instituting the posse, which now stands 140-members strong. In 2018, Songer’s main platform was of curbing illegal drug use.
His second term was riddled with national headlines as the sheriff became more politically active and outspoken against liberal policies.
In 2018, Songer was one of many sheriffs in the state to refuse enforcing voter-led state initiative 1639, which bans under-21s from purchasing firearms and institutes stricter background checks and safe-storage measures.
In 2021, Songer took a stand against government officials overseeing implementation of COVID-19 emergency orders, threatening them with arrest and detainment if they enforced mask mandates, vaccine mandates, and other COVID-19 mandates. The announcement resulted in a strongly worded letter penned by county commissioners denouncing the threat.
Despite the consequences, the outgoing sheriff still holds firm on his anti-establishment rhetoric.
“Our job is to arrest bad guys but really the primary job is to step up and intervene when the government becomes a bad guy,” Songer said.
Once he retires, the outgoing sheriff hopes to see the posse continue, and to see the implementation of an animal shelter in the county, which is currently lacking one.
Songer said he will also continue to be politically active by supporting and endorsing “constitutional” candidates — especially those who aligned with and have been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, including 3rd Congressional District candidate Joe Kent, and Loren Culp, the failed 2020 gubernatorial candidate who is now running against 4th Congressional District incumbent Dan Newhouse.
He also plans to remain active performing volunteer work for the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA). The organization, founded by retired Sheriff Richard Mack, was recently subject to a report by the Anti-Defamation League which labeled it a “large anti-government extremist group whose primary purpose is to spread anti-government propaganda to, and recruit from, law enforcement personnel … CSPOA’s primary argument is the false claim that the powers of the county sheriff supersede those of any federal, state, or local authorities, as long as the intent is to protect American citizens from enemies foreign or domestic.”
Songer was recently a guest on CSPOA’s YouTube channel, The Sheriff Richard Mack Show (named after its founder), where he was applauded for telling the FBI to “stay out of our county” after the Justice Department warned of threats and intimidation directed towards school district officials for enforcing COVID-19 prevention measures.
Time may tell whether Songer’s successor will continue to lead the department in a way that mirrors the CSPOA’s standards, but a conversation with Neher, currently the only candidate to file for the position, sheds insight on his leadership style.
The outgoing sheriff has advice for his successor, whoever that shall be.
“I think the first thing is...as an elected sheriff, your primary job is to protect the rights and liberties (of citzens),” he said. “The citizens don’t owe you, they don’t work for you — you work for them.”
He also said that “you have to be honest, (and) you have to be fair,” to be a sheriff. Songer finally extended a thank you to the Klickitat County community for their support.
“In my opinion I’ve been very blessed,” he said. “I’m grateful every day to have that opportunity.”
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