Pierce County sheriff could be ousted before end of term

Voters will have a chance to oust Pierce County's elected sheriff in November, after county charter review commissioners passed a ballot measure on Monday that would make the county sheriff an appointed position rather than an elected office.

In a last-minute move, the Pierce County Charter Review Commission narrowly passed an amendment to the proposal that would shorten the term of elected Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank. If the ballot measure passes in November, Swank's term will end Jan. 1, 2027, rather than Jan. 1, 2029.

The amendment to shorten Swank's term passed 12-9 after heated debate among commissioners Monday night. Some commissioners questioned the legality of ending his term and expressed concern that the move would effectively disenfranchise voters. Swank was elected in 2024 with 50.81% of the vote.

Swank has frequently invited controversy. He has stated online and offline that transgender women "are men" and clashed with another sheriff on social media in January regarding the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis.

Before becoming sheriff, he retired from the Seattle Police Department in 2023. While at the police department, he made disparaging comments about transgender people and defended the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Former interim Chief Sue Rahr signed a disciplinary report over Swank's social media presence after his retirement and said he would have been fired had he still worked for the department.

The commission has been discussing a vote on amending the county charter - Pierce County's governing document - for months. The charter is reviewed every decade by 21 commissioners. If the charter amendment passes, the sheriff will be appointed by a majority of the Pierce County Council.

"Their success can be measured by outcomes rather than political popularity," Commissioner Jake Hunter, who proposed the contested amendment, said during Monday's meeting.

If voters decide to amend the charter, Pierce County would join King County as the only Washington counties to appoint a sheriff. Most counties in the U.S. elect sheriffs.

The original iteration put forth by Hunter did not call for shortening Swank's term.

Swank said he knew the original proposal was coming, but did not find out about the amendment to shorten his term until after the vote had taken place.

During an interview, Swank described the ballot measure as a politically motivated attack by the left." Swank expressed concern that employees of the office could be terminated by a future appointed sheriff and have no recourse.

"There's so much hate and vitriol in that room," Swank said.

Commissioner Justin Leighton, who put forth the amendment to truncate Swank's term in 2027, said during the meeting that the legislation is not about Swank and that conversation about appointing a sheriff had been occurring "well before the current sheriff" took office.

"Let the final say of this conversation be in November by the voters," Leighton said during Monday's meeting.

Leighton did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

"Do we want to wait four years in between holding our chief law enforcement officer in the county accountable?" Hunter said on Wednesday in response to claims about undermining the will of voters. "Those same voters will get a chance to vote this amendment up or down."

The legislation passed as amended with nine members opposed. Another amendment, which failed, would have still put forth the charter amendment on appointing sheriffs while allowing Swank to serve out the remainder of his term.

Commissioner Sharon Hanek, who voted against Hunter's proposal, said she wonders about legal ramifications for the county for terminating a duly elected sheriff before his four years are up.

Swank said he has been in touch with his attorney. Proponents of the charter amendment argue it is legal because it gives voters an opportunity to weigh in.

"It's not happening at the end of a term, it's happening in the middle of the term, and to me that's not needed unless it's personal," Hanek said.

Though the amendment wasn't on the agenda, more than two-dozen people spoke about it during a charter review commission meeting Wednesday. A majority were against the amendment and expressed concerns about the Democratic process and what they said is a political agenda targeting Swank. Supporters of the amendment called Swank's remarks disrespectful to Pierce County residents.

Swank, for his part, said he is prepared for a fight.

"I'm going to rally the troops," he said. "I hope that enough people say, even though I don't like Swank, I want to vote for my sheriff.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 4:54 PM.