Wichita County commissioners on Aug. 26 voted unanimously to appoint Will Rutledge to fill the unexpired term of Sheriff David Duke, an appointment that will run through Dec. 31, 2026. The court’s motion, made by Commissioner Watts and seconded by Commissioner Fincannon, carried 5-0.

The appointment comes after Duke’s planned retirement at the end of the month. Rutledge, who addressed the court before the vote, described his approach as maintaining continuity in the sheriff’s office and noted his years on the department’s command staff. “I’ve been working with staff last 8 years with Sheriff Duke. I’ve looked for the transition to be smooth moving forward. I don’t see any major things that need to be corrected,” Rutledge said.

Commissioners said they supported the appointment because Rutledge has worked closely with the sheriff’s office and with county staff. During the meeting the court noted that the appointment fills the office until voters select a successor: primaries will be in March (per the election schedule discussed at the meeting), with the general election in November to elect the sheriff who will serve after the appointed term ends.

Comments from commissioners and county leaders stressed operational stability. One commissioner said Rutledge had been “on top of payroll” and praised the sheriff’s office for running smoothly during the recent period of transition. Several speakers — including the county auditor’s office in a public comment that preceded the vote — described an asset audit of sheriff’s vehicles and equipment that the court said it will finalize in a subsequent session.

The court’s motion record shows a 5-0 tally in favor; the court did not record individual roll-call votes in the public transcript beyond announcing the motion passed 5-0. The court also said it had received no public requests to change the appointment process and that it had posted the vacancy and related proceedings publicly.

Discussion (non-decisional) included praise for deputy responsiveness and the sheriff’s office’s cooperation with county departments. Rutledge said he anticipates some “tweaks” to policies but no major operational changes. The formal action taken at the meeting was the appointment vote; the court did not adopt new departmental policies during the session.

The court indicated that additional housekeeping related to the transition — including completion of the asset audit and any inventory clean-up — will be brought back to court in the coming weeks for review and any required formal action.