BY KAREN BOSSICK

Two men facing off to be the Democratic nominee for Blaine County Sheriff will take part in a candidate forum at 6 p.m. Monday, May 6, at the Community Campus in Hailey.

The winner of the May 21 primary will face Republican candidate Aaron Hughston in November.

Sheriff Steve Harkins is looking to keep his seat. Harkins, 51, has been in law enforcement for 33 years, having started out as a dispatcher in Twin Falls. He joined the Hailey Police Department in 1992. He worked as a detective for 11 years until he became Ketchum Police chief in 2009.

He joined the sheriff’s department as chief deputy in 2014 and has served two terms as sheriff beginning in 2016.

Ballis, 37, was named Hailey’s Police Officer of the Year in 2023. He is a school resource officer in the Blaine County School District and serves as president of the Idaho Association of School Resource Officers.

The district’s school resource officers won the 2023 National Association of School Resource Officer’s Model Agency Award after Ballis and others redesigned the district’s emergency response protocol.

Ballis is a relative newcomer, having moved here with his family four years ago. A native of Arizona, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps.  He has a Master of Science degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management from National University in San Diego and is working on his doctorate in Emergency Management.

The event is hosted by The Advocates, The Alliance and The Hunger Coalition.

Pizza and child care will be provided, as will Spanish translation.