Retired Army sergeant major enters Sandoval County sheriff's race

Martin Arellano brought a military-and-policing résumé into Sandoval County’s open sheriff’s race, positioning himself as a candidate who can steady the county’s principal law-enforcement agency. Arellano, a Rio Rancho resident, is a retired U.S. Army command sergeant major and a retired Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputy. The contest is open because Sheriff Jesse James Casaus did not seek re-election under New Mexico’s term limits for county sheriffs.

Arellano said the two lifelong goals that shaped his career were military service and law-enforcement service, following his father’s World War II service and his oldest brother’s service in Vietnam. He said he has now achieved both and wants to bring proven leadership to the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office. His announcement emphasized cooperation with law-enforcement agencies, local businesses, Native American pueblos, veterans organizations, civic groups, youth programs and school programs, along with a commitment to transparency and accountability.

The first practical test of that pitch will be whether Arellano can turn his background into a concrete plan for staffing, response and leadership inside the office. He said the department needs a cohesive team built through competitive wages, fair promotion, recognition and continued development of skilled leaders. He also said law-enforcement families deserve attention and support, adding a personal dimension to a race that will hinge on how the next sheriff manages the people behind the badge, not just the public-facing job.

That matters in a county where the sheriff’s office handles much more than patrol. Sandoval County says deputies are assigned to four districts, and the office has concurrent jurisdiction with municipal police while working closely with tribal authorities in and around Jemez Pueblo, Zia Pueblo, Santa Ana Pueblo, Sandia Pueblo, Cochiti Pueblo, Santo Domingo Pueblo and San Felipe Pueblo, along with portions of the Navajo Nation and the Jicarilla Apache Reservation. The county’s detention center houses inmates from several jurisdictions and uses video visitation, adding another layer of operational responsibility.

The campaign is unfolding before a large electorate. Sandoval County officials said about 117,000 voters were registered in the county, including about 3,000 new registrants in the 2026 cycle. Filing day for the primary was March 10, with write-in filing on March 17, and five people declared candidacy for sheriff. The primary is set for June 2, with early voting from May 16 through May 30, before the Nov. 3 general election. The sheriff’s office’s 2024 annual report says its mission is safety and quality service through fair enforcement of the law and defense of rights, a standard Arellano is now asking voters to weigh against the current direction of the office.