For almost three years, Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden has made skepticism of the 2020 election results and the security of the county’s election procedures a running theme of his time in office.
But although Hayden had gained a devoted and vocal following among Republicans, it apparently was not enough to win his party’s nomination to run for re-election in November.
Doug Bedford, a former undersheriff who had worked for Hayden, instead appears poised to carry the party banner against Democratic candidate Byron Roberson, the police chief of Prairie Village, who did not have an opponent for the Aug. 6 primary.
According to unofficial final results Tuesday, voters gave Bedford the edge by a roughly 5,200-vote margin.
Bedford received 23,572 of the 41,944 votes cast or about 56%, while Hayden’s total was 18,372 or about 43%.
Bedford said he was not particularly surprised with the outcome given the responses he’s had from people whose doors he knocked on.
“The citizens of Johnson County spoke today and they’re tired of having politics in the office and they want professionalism instead,” Bedford said.
He said he had not talked personally to Hayden since the results came in and had also not had time to go through hundreds of messages and texts yet.
Despite multiple attempts Tuesday night, the Post could not reach Hayden for comment after the unofficial final results were updated.
With a presidential election on the horizon, Bedford said he expects a difficult race in November.
“It will be a contested race, that’s for certain. But I’m still confident in our team, and the message we have moving forward,” he said. “I’m confident that the citizens of Johnson County will elect me sheriff in November.”
Former subordinate, now running for office
Bedford has told voters he would return the office to its “original principles of leadership and fiscal responsibility,” and has emphasized teamwork and his experience as a former Navy SEAL.
He served in the Johnson County Sheriff’s office for 25 years, including four as Hayden’s undersheriff. He has questioned the expense of Hayden’s election investigation, which is so far unknown, as well as its lack of solid evidence.
He’s also stressed numerous endorsements from former law enforcement officers, including former Johnson County Sheriff Frank Denning.
A three-year election investigation
Hayden has campaigned on a variety of right-wing issues, including fears about crime and immigration, COVID mandates and violent protests. But it was his insistence — despite lack of prosecutable evidence — that something seemed amiss in recent county election results that captured national attention.
Hayden began telling conservative gatherings in early 2022 that the prior year he had tasked an employee, at county expense, with delving into all aspects of the 2020 election.
At the time, he said his office was receiving hundreds of complaints about the results and election procedures and that he was bound to investigate them.
The controversial investigation took several turns over the following years.
At one point, Hayden made a Michigan-based software company a focal point, touting its records as a missing link in his investigation.
That stopped after Hayden received a warning letter from a lawyer hired by the company, Konnech, Inc. The company had been exonerated and won a $5 million settlement against Los Angeles County for similar unsubstantiated claims.
Search warrant became focal point of campaign
Later, Hayden, backed by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, asked that ballots from as early as 2019 be kept from their scheduled destruction. He did not submit a legally valid search warrant, however, and the shredding went ahead as scheduled.
Hayden then hinted election officials were in a hurry to destroy the ballots because they knew a warrant was in the pipeline.
Despite Hayden’s public comments, including testimony to the Kansas Legislature, the only alleged instance of wrongdoing presented to prosecutors did not have evidence to back up charges, according to District Attorney Steve Howe.
The investigation brought fervent support from some, but it and the ascendancy of the party’s right wing in county leadership caused consternation among those who disagreed that the 2020 election was stolen, including past county and state GOP leadership.
Some said the split was hurting the party, demoralizing potential volunteers and driving away donors. Among them was former state party chairman Mike Kuckelman, an outspoken Hayden critic who supported Bedford.
What happens next?
Hayden paused his investigation about a month ago, but has continued to cast doubts about the election.
As late as ten days ago, he raised money off an appearance by two nationally known election conspiracists, Catherine Engelbrecht and Gregg Phillips, leaders of True the Vote. That group had been sued by Konnech.
The primary election results leave the future of Hayden’s investigation in question.
Bedford has said he would look into what Hayden has so far but would end it promptly if there is a lack of evidence to continue it.
This story was originally published by the Johnson County Post.
