Sheriff promotes opponent in last race

Former sheriff's candidate and Carson City deputy Bob Guimont was promoted to the rank of sergeant by Sheriff Kenny Furlong and has been reassigned to the jail, the sheriff said Thursday.

"I'm really pleased. Bob has done a tremendous job in supporting this administration," Furlong said.

In November, Guimont was Furlong's strongest opponent for the seat of sheriff left empty by a retiring Rod Banister.

Furlong beat Guimont 54 to 41 percent, despite Guimont's endorsement by the Carson City Sheriffs Protective Association, made up of 60 deputies.

When the election was over, Guimont, an eight-year veteran of the department, said he planned to stay. And he did.

He said Thursday if he wasn't going to be sheriff, he's glad it's Furlong.

"After the campaign, I just continued to do my job. We had a new administration that brought a lot of excitement and energy into the department," he said. "With that kind of energy - it flows downhill, we all felt it."

He said Furlong is "good at what he does."

"His administration is outstanding."

He said he's anxious to learn the workings of the jail, although he admits he'll miss riding his police-issued motorcycle on patrol. "It's just another division of this department," he said. "They don't hold you back here."