The momentum that began building around Tim Jantz this summer, pushing him past a crowded field of contenders and into the GOP nomination, peaked Tuesday night when voters tabbed him to become Moffat County’s next sheriff.

Jantz, 45, a sergeant with the Sheriff’s Office, won the only local contested race of the evening, which turned out to be no contest at all.

Jantz received about 68 percent of the votes. Independent candidate Vic Alton, a corporal at the Sheriff’s Office, earned 24 percent, and write-in candidate Don Kroese, who is unaffiliated, received 8 percent of the votes.

“Give me a minute, and let it all sink in,” an excited Jantz said at the Moffat County Courthouse. “I had no expectations, no preconceived notions. … This was about getting out there and campaigning.”

Jantz won the election in Moffat County’s four communities — Craig, Hamilton, Dinosaur and Maybell — and in the early voting group. Overall, he received 2,729 of the 3,997 total votes.

His victory was assured about 9 p.m. Tuesday, when election officials released totals from all voting groups, except Dinosaur.

Even without the totals from Dinosaur, Jantz’s lead was insurmountable and the election was decided.

He said he didn’t believe his victory would be achieved as easily as the results showed.

“I figured this would be a close race. I wasn’t taking anything for granted,” Jantz said.

He was also diplomatic in victory, congratulating Alton and Kroese for well-run campaigns devoid of any mud-slinging or back-stabbing.

“We all ran a clean race, very professional,” he said. “I’m very proud of that.”

His nearest opponent, Alton, was equally tactful in conceding the race to his Sheriff’s Office colleague.

“We knew that it was going to be an uphill battle to begin with,” Alton said. “I will support Tim and congratulate him. I’m disappointed, but that’s just the way the ball bounces.

“You win a few, you lose a few.”

Who will join Jantz in running the Sheriff’s Office, a question that followed him throughout the campaign season, was once again asked Tuesday night. Jantz said he has not chosen an undersheriff and will take the next few weeks to trim a short list of about four candidates.

“I’d like to sit down and visit with some people,” he said. “I’m hoping to (make a decision) by the end of the month.”

However, he reaffirmed his pledge to pick an undersheriff that is outside of the roster of current or former Sheriff’s Office administrators. It’s the same vow he made throughout the campaign.

“Nothing has changed in that regard,” he said.

Jantz is a law enforcement veteran with 23 years of experience. He has lived in Moffat County, off and on, for the past 26 years.

He has been married to his wife, Julie, for 25 years. They have one son, Clint, and a daughter-in-law, Kristin.

About 51 percent of all registered Moffat County voters, 4,274 of 8,402, voted in the general election, according to the Moffat County Clerk and Recorder’s Office.