Retiring Oak Bluffs police chief Erik Blake will make a run for Dukes County sheriff this fall, challenging incumbent Robert Ogden for the Democratic nomination in the state primary in September.
Debra O’Malley, a spokesman for Secretary of State William Galvin, confirmed Monday that Mr. Blake had filed nomination papers last Thursday.
“He will be on the Democratic ballot for sheriff in Dukes county along with Robert Ogden,” Ms. O’Malley told the Gazette by phone.
Chief Blake announced his retirement from the Oak Bluffs police department in February, capping a 35-year career in law enforcement for the town. His retirement takes effect June 30.
Sheriff Ogden was elected to his first six-year term in 2016, filling a vacancy left by longtime sheriff Michael McCormack, who retired that year.,
Before then, he worked for 26 years in the sheriff’s department, holding a variety of positions as he rose through the ranks.
The state primary will be held on Sept. 6, ahead of the general election in early November.
