There’s a new man at the helm of the Broadwater County Sheriff’s Office, but he’s a familiar face. The Broadwater County Commission unanimously approved Mark Wood as interim sheriff during a meeting on Wednesday morning.
Wood has 36 years of law enforcement experience, 10 years of that with the Broadwater County Sheriff’s Office. Before Wednesday’s appointment as interim sheriff, Wood served as undersheriff.
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“I’ve been in this profession for a long time, I’m just going to do what I’ve always done,” Wood said. “I’m going to keep the citizens safe, I’m going to make sure the citizens see law enforcement in all the communities around here because that’s what they pay for, and we’re responsible to be there.”
On March 27, the Broadwater County Sheriff’s Office announced former sheriff Nick Rauser was stepping down from his position. Rauser has served 18 years in law enforcement, and he was elected sheriff in November 2022.
Rauser’s decision to step down was not unexpected, Wood said it’s something he and Rauser had spoken about, and the county commission was aware too. Broadwater County Commission chair Debi Randolph said the commission had time to prepare for the transition, and they spent time “talking to our attorneys about how to do this and making sure we’re following MCA.”
Randolph said she expects the transition from Rauser to Wood as county sheriff to be seamless.
“The office over there works very well together,” she said. “They’re all informed, they know about it, communication has been great.”
Rauser is still with the Broadwater County Sheriff’s Office, now focusing on his passion—helping children and the county’s school resource officer program.
“He’s going to be here, he’s not going anywhere, he can be here as long as he wants,” Wood said.
Wood will fill the remainder of Rauser’s term in office, which continues through the end of 2026.
There will be an election in November for a new sheriff, and Wood is running for the position. Whoever voters choose will take office in January 2027.
With Wood’s appointment as interim sheriff, Jamie Buck has been named undersheriff and Tony Cordova has been promoted to captain.
In 2025, Broadwater County voters rejected a proposed public safety levy. By not approving the levy, the sheriff's office saw its total budget cut by about a third.
