Commissioners Appoint Lee Orozco as New Churchill County Sheriff

On Friday, April 17, Churchill County commissioners appointed a new sheriff to fill the vacancy left by the death of Richard Hickox, selecting Undersheriff Lee Orozco to serve out the remainder of the term.

The appointment was made during a special meeting after hearing from Chief Deputy District Attorney Lane Mills, who explained the process under Nevada law.

“We’re here this morning due to the untimely death of Sheriff Hickox,” Mills told the board. “It falls to this board…to fill that vacancy pursuant to statute.”

Mills explained that the appointment fills the position through the remainder of the term, which runs until the first Monday in January 2027. Because the primary filing period has already passed, a separate window will open in late June for candidates to file for the general election.

“There is a provision for a candidacy filing period,” Mills said. “Because we’re already past the time for a primary, that period will run later on…there’ll be an opportunity for people to file to get onto the general election.”

Commissioners chose to make the appointment during the meeting rather than delay the process.

Commissioner Matt Hyde said the decision was about continuing the leadership voters had already supported.

“Sheriff Hickox was elected as sheriff. He appointed a right-hand man, his undersheriff, and that is an extension of what the people wanted in this community,” said Hyde. “They trusted Richard to appoint his undersheriff.”

The board unanimously approved the motion to appoint Orozco, who was sworn in shortly after the vote.

Following the oath of office, Orozco briefly addressed the room, reflecting on his longtime working relationship with Hickox.

“I was here when he started. I was partners with him in investigations. Then he was my boss and partner in the administration,” Orozco said. “He will be missed, but he’s not forgotten. We’ll carry on what he started.”

Under Nevada law, the appointed sheriff will serve until the next general election, when voters will elect a candidate to the office. The upcoming special filing period will allow interested candidates to enter that race despite the standard filing deadlines having passed earlier this year.

The meeting concluded with commissioners noting the importance of keeping the sheriff’s office steady during the transition.