Former Undersheriff Don Anthony collected 194 signatures on a petition to be included as a Republican primary candidate for Park County Sheriff. He turned in the forms one day ahead of the deadline on Wednesday, May 24, 2006. All of the signatures, however, did not qualify and the petition fell short by ten voters.

To qualify as a candidate in the Republican primary, Anthony needed 152 valid signatures from registered Republican voters in Park County. Of the total 194 collected, 5 were Democrats, 9 were not registered voters, 32 were registered as unaffiliated, and 6 were eliminated due to residence address, according to Park County Clerk Debra Green. The 52 invalid signatures brought the total down to only 142, an insufficient number to place Anthony on the ballot.

The Clerk's office started the signature verification Tuesday morning and had the count completed by noon. "He can still file an affidavit to run as a write-in candidate," Green said. The deadline to file as a write-in for the primary is Friday, June 2, according to the Clerk. In order to file for the November general election instead of the August primary, the affidavit must be filed no later than August 29.

Anthony is the only candidate to date who has filed to run against incumbent Sheriff Fred Wegener. "I have not decided on which direction to go as of yet," Anthony said. "I will not give up my battle to get Wegener out of office. The county deserves better than what they have."

The Primary Election date is August 8, 2006. In Park County local elections, the only primary contests are between candidates in the Republican Party.