VOICES

“A piece of my body and soul will always be in this department. This has been a very difficult decision for me and my family. You all know how much I love this job and love the County of Orange.”

--Sheriff Brad Gates

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“Brad Gates is one of the most effective sheriffs in the state. The plummeting crime rate in Orange County is a testament to his effectiveness.”

--Gov. Pete Wilson

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“My credentials are easily matched against Brad Gates, who we figured we’d be running against, and Doug Storm. I’m willing to put up my credentials and my background and let the voters make the decision.”

--Marshal Michael S. Carona

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“This agency is not broken. It’s at the top of its game. We need to keep it there and make it even better.”

--Assistant Sheriff Douglas D. Storm

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“Brad’s an administrator, and a damn good one. He’s a motivator. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t have a number of offers now that he’s made his decision.”

--William Popejoy, former county executive officer

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“Everyone reaches that point in life where you start thinking about where to go next. We were not able to spend a lot of time together as a family. Now that the kids are older, we want to spend more time together doing things.”

--Dee Dee Gates, the sheriff’s wife

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“[G ates is] going to focus on trying to get Doug Storm elected and make sure the department is run well. This is good time for him [to leave], and Doug’s ready.”

--Eileen E. Padberg, Gates’ campaign consultant