Breckenridge Texan

Below you’ll find the Candidate Profile Questionnaires that were returned to the Breckenridge Texan by the candidates for the office of Stephens County Sheriff, listed in alphabetical order.

There is one candidate running in the Democratic Party Primary and one candidate running in the Republican Party Primary. Depending on which party’s primary you vote in, you will see only one or the other candidate on your ballot in the March 3 Primary Election. Because the candidates are running under different parties, neither will be eliminated in the Primary Election, and both should appear on the Nov. 3 General Election ballot, along with any write-in candidates, if any file a declaration by the July 18 deadline.

At the end of this story is an editor’s note that explains how the questionnaires were distributed, compiled, etc.

Click here to return to the main primary election article.

Kathy Marcom

Kathy Marcom

What office are you seeking: Sheriff (Democratic Party Primary)

What is your current occupation, and how will that be affected if you are elected?
I am currently self-employed, which includes managing the family oil and gas operations, the family ranching operations and the family businesses. I am also working on my master’s degree in criminal justice. It will not affect my duties as Sheriff.

Tell us a little bit about your family.
I graduated from Breckenridge High School, and have lived in Stephens County most of my life. I have a home in Breckenridge, and a strong interest in Stephens County. I have 2 sons.

What are your community involvements/civic affiliations?
For years I have been involved in a program that insures that every homeless child enrolled in school at Breckenridge ISD has a Christmas. The program helps identify homeless children enrolled in Breckenridge and to make sure presents are delivered to that child.

What is your education?
I graduated from Breckenridge ISD.

I then attended Cisco College, Tarleton State University, Ranger College and University of Texas.

I graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Criminal Justice. I am currently planning on completing my Masters in Criminal Justice.

What training, experiences and characteristics qualify you for this position?

I have a degree in Criminal Justice.

I have worked both on the defense and prosecution of cases for various attorneys.

I have conducted client interviews and helped maintain general contact with clients.

I have helped locate and interview witnesses, conducted investigations, statistical and documentary research as well as conduct legal research.

I have helped draft legal documents, correspondence and pleadings as well as summarize depositions, interrogatories and testimony.

I have helped Veterans understand the entitlements they have because of their service. I have guided Veterans in choosing what agency and department they need to contact to get their benefits.

What do you think are the most critical issues facing the community and what would you do to address them, if elected?
Drugs and theft are the most critical issues facing the community. Drugs fuel the theft problem. The dealers of drugs must be curtailed. Drug users must be offered a program to get off drugs. The courts and law enforcement must place more emphasis on programs offered by Abilene Regional Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Inc (ARCADA) in Abilene.

Describe an accomplishment of which you are proud and how it helps make you the best candidate for the office?
I am proud of several different accomplishments.

I am proud that I was allowed to help present Christmas gifts to the homeless students of Breckenridge ISD and to see the smiling faces of children.

I am proud that I was allowed to help battered women obtain court orders that protected them and their children from abusive situations.

I am proud that I was allowed to help Veterans obtain their benefits.

I am proud that I was allowed to give back to the community and look forward to being able to give back even more as Sheriff of Stephens County.

Kevin Roach

Kevin Roach

What office are you seeking? Stephens County Sheriff (Republican Party Primary)

What is your current occupation, and how will that be affected if you are elected?
I am currently the Chief Deputy of the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office. If I am elected as your Sheriff. I will transition into that position and will be appointing a new Chief Deputy.

Tell us a little bit about your family.
I have been married to my supportive wife Melissa Roach for over 18 years. We have one son Kadin Roach.

What are your community involvements/civic affiliations?
I am involved in developing community programs, presenting citizen safety programs, and volunteer at community events providing security. I am also involved in the local ranching industry.

What is your education/military.
I am a Texas State licensed Peace Officer. I have over 1280 hours of law enforcement education. I also hold a Texas Christian University Ranch Management Certificate.

What training, experiences and characteristics qualify you for this position?
I have been involved in Law Enforcement for over twenty-one years. The majority of my career has been with the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office. I began my law enforcement career in 1998 as a jailer. I have worked in all aspects of the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office. For the past three years I have served as the Chief Deputy with the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office. As Chief Deputy I was responsible for and oversaw the day to day operation of the Sheriff’s Office and the County Jail. I am dedicated to the citizens of Stephens County and I know what it takes to operate a professional law enforcement agency.

What do you think are the most critical issues facing the community and what would you do to address them, if elected?
Illegal drug use is an epidemic that plagues our county. A majority of the crime committed in Stephens County is drug related. If I am elected I will aggressively focus on all crime that promotes illegal drug use. I will continue to foster interagency collaboration and work towards developing a more fluid justice system in Stephens County.

Describe an accomplishment of which you are proud and how it helps make you the best candidate for the office?
When I look back over the years it is difficult to list one accomplishment ahead of others. I guess the most satisfying accomplishments would be the cases that I investigated that resulted in the successful prosecution of offenders that preyed on the most innocent, our children. To have a hand in removing this type of menace from our community definitely makes me proud. I believe my ability to investigate all crimes and my record of solving cases and obtaining successful prosecutions makes me the best candidate for the office of Sheriff.

Editor’s note:

Each candidate in a contested Stephens County race in the 2020 Primary Election was contacted by phone and was presented with a list of questions via email or U.S. Postal Service, as requested by the candidate.

All of the questionnaires were exactly the same. We asked the following questions:

• Name:
• What office are you seeking?
• What is your current occupation, and how will that be affected if you are elected?
• Tell us a little bit about your family.
• What are your community involvements/civic affiliations?
• What is your education/military service?
• What training, experiences and characteristics qualify you for this position?
• What do you think are the most critical issues facing the community and what would you do to address them, if elected?
• Describe an accomplishment of which you are proud and how it helps make you the best candidate for the office?

The candidates also were asked to provide the Breckenridge Texan with a photograph.

The only editing we did was to run a basic spell-check on the files to correct typos and to put the questionnaires in a standard format.

If you have any questions about the profiles or our procedure, please send an email to:
news@breckenridgetexan.com.