Chehalis Deputy Police Chief Matt McKnight officially kicked off his campaign for Lewis County sheriff Thursday evening, becoming the second candidate to do so ahead of the 2026 race.
Though only two candidates have held official kickoff events, there are at least three others actively campaigning for the position.
McKnight and a campaign team composed of his immediate family members hosted the kickoff event at the Veterans Memorial Museum in Chehalis.
During the event, McKnight shared his platform and invited two guest speakers who have endorsed him for the position.
McKnight invited attendees to stay after the roughly 30 minutes of speakers to enjoy food and refreshments and speak with him one-on-one about their concerns for the sheriff's office.
McKnight is one of at least five candidates in the county who have filed disclosure documents with the state Public Disclosure Commission to run for the position.
The crowded field will compete for the highest law enforcement position in the county in the first race in many years that does not include the name of incumbent, Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza.
McKnight’s campaign kickoff comes after that of Centralia Police Department Sgt. Tracy Murphy, who held a similar event last November. Murphy, who leads the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team, previously lost to Snaza in the 2022 race.
Kenneth Cheeseman, a longtime member of the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and former patrol deputy, filed his PDC disclosure in June. Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Justin Kangas also filed a disclosure announcing his plans to run for the top job. Another longtime Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputy, Daniel “Danny” Riordan, threw his hat in the ring in October.
On Thursday, McKnight took a personal approach to his kickoff as his family members introduced speakers. He started off with a few jokes and shared his background as a lifelong Lewis County resident and career law enforcement officer.
“I am far more comfortable dealing with an armed combative than I am coming here and talking in front of you all,” McKnight said to chuckles in the audience.
As he spoke, he touched on his upbringing in Winlock, shared his experience starting off his nearly 20 years in law enforcement with six years at the Lewis County Sheriff's Office, and discussed his time since moving to the Chehalis Police Department where he now serves as deputy police chief.
He shared the many responsibilities he has taken on as a member of the Chehalis Police Department. McKnight has served as a traffic safety liaison, a taser instructor, a field training officer, a member of the honor guard and more.
“The position of sheriff should be about qualifications, about experience and about proven leadership,” McKnight said. “Leadership is hard.”
When it came to his platform, McKnight started with his desire to see the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office take steps to once again become accredited. He pitched it as a way to improve accountability and possibly reduce liability and insurance costs for the sheriff’s office.
According to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC), its accreditation process, which is one of the most common in the state of Washington, was established to verify that law enforcement agencies are operating under the best industry practices.
Both the Chehalis and Centralia police departments are listed as accredited agencies by WASPC, but Lewis County is not.
McKnight also called for deeper law enforcement cooperation in the area. He threw out ideas for a regional tactical response team and a regional street crimes unit that responds to all crimes, not just narcotics. The teams would be made up of officers from multiple law enforcement agencies in the area.
Finally, he endorsed the idea of bringing back the reserve program for the Lewis County Sheriff's Office that operated as recently as 2022. The Centralia Police Department still operates a similar program. Its two reserve officers aid in a variety of duties, from patrol to specialized units and more.
McKnight recalled having a patrol officer in the car with him on many weekend shifts patrolling East Lewis County during his time with the sheriff’s office.
“It was somebody else in the car with me,” McKnight said. “Somebody else to make me more efficient. Somebody else to make me safer. Somebody else to serve the citizens.”
When McKnight or his family members weren't speaking, two others came to the podium to endorse the new candidate for Lewis County sheriff.
Onalaska Fire Chief Brad Flexhaug spoke about his experience working with McKnight in a multi-department and multi-discipline effort in Lewis County to develop a countywide active shooter incident management plan.
Flexhaug testified on behalf of McKnight’s abilities as a leader and spoke highly of his approach to personnel management, from hiring and recruiting to cross department cooperation.
“I have come to truly respect his abilities specifically to manage people,” Flexhaug said. “I’ve also seen how he manages incidents as well. I just have to let you know he does a wonderful job.”
A former Washington state trooper of 25 years and Lewis county resident, Jason Ashley, also endorsed McKnight. Ashley took a more personal approach, recalling when he met McKnight for the first time 20 years earlier as he started his career in law enforcement.
He also described McKnight’s role in the community, testifying to his integrity and reliability as a neighbor, friend and father.
Learn more about his campaign at https://www.facebook.com/mcknightforsheriff/.
