The election for Island County Sheriff is 11 months away, but already at least three candidates have decided to run for the office and several more are considering whether to enter the fray.

So far, Coupeville Marshall Lenny Marlborough, Island County Deputy Jay Wallace and retired state trooper Mark Brown have declared their candidacy. Chief William “De” Dennis, the administrator of the county jail, said he’s considering running.

Island County Sheriff Mike Hawley isn’t seeking re-election and doesn’t plan to endorse any candidates, leaving the top cop position wide open. Insiders in the county’s law and justice system are already predicting a heated campaign.

Jan Smith, the sheriff’s chief administrator and spokesperson, said her letter of resignation is already on file and she plans to leave with her boss. She pointed out that a new sheriff would inevitably want to set up his or her own administration.

Hawley already sent out a memo in an attempt to prevent the political race from entering the office.

“Unfortunately, with history as our guide,” he wrote, “the politicking between now and Election Day will escalate and may turn ugly, distracting us from our public safety mission; I am intent on minimizing this. For one thing, I’ve decided to not publicly endorse anyone. (Every candidate deserves the opportunity to sink or swim of his or her own accord.) Further, I want to make certain early on that everyone is aware of, and adheres to, regulations and policies involving elections and campaigns.

At election time, it may be a tough choice for voters as each of the candidates have impressive records in law enforcement.

Brown, a 58-year-old Oak Harbor resident, has 31 years of experience with the state patrol, mainly in military communities. He was an officer in the Navy for about four years before joining the state patrol. During his decorated career, he was named “trooper of the year” for the entire state once and was runner-up for the honor a second time.

If elected, Brown said he wants to make the department a place where deputies will stay, not a “training ground” He will emphasize integrity and honest, open communication.

“One of my assets,” he said, “is the ability to communicate — within the department, with other agencies and certainly with the community.”

Wallace, a 61-year-old Greenbank resident, has been a deputy for 10 years. Before that, he worked in the San Francisco Police Department, where he supervised 35 other officers, collaborated with the FBI and provided security to high-profile events like the Democratic National Convention.

“I’ve proven myself as a firm, forward-thinking deputy…” Wallace said it a written statement. “Citizens know that I’m tough on crime, and have practical plans for making this a safer place to live. I’m also an outspoken advocate for improved security and zero-tolerance drug programs in our schools.”

Marlborough, a 50-year-old Coupeville resident, has been town marshall for 10 years and worked for the Oak Harbor Police for 14 years before that. He currently manages five officers. He has experience as a patrol officer, K-9 officer, search and rescue supervisor, undercover narcotics detective, watch command supervisor and detective sergeant.

Marlborough said he works closely with the Sheriff’s Office. He said it’s a “somewhat fractured” organization that he intends to fix. Specifically, he wants to build morale, increase training and delegate more authority to chiefs, lieutenants and precinct commanders.

“I want to spend time on the road doing ‘deputy stuff,’” he said. “It’s real important that the sheriff keeps in touch with what the deputies are doing.”

Marlborough already has a Web site, lennyforsheriff.com, and Wallace plans to set up a site at jaywallaceforsheriff.com.