By GLENN WOJCIAK

The Post staff writer

Kent Patterson and Thomas Miller are vying for the Republican nomination to run for Medina County sheriff against Democrat John Detchon in the November election.

Voters will determine if it's Patterson or Miller in the March 6 primary election.

Both GOP candidates bring a lifetime of law enforcement experience to the campaign to determine the replacement for Neil Hassinger, who has been sheriff for 16 years but is not seeking re-election.

Patterson, 67, retired as commander of the Medina Post of the State Highway Patrol in 1997 and has served as chief of the Westfield Village Police Department since 1999. He has worked in law enforcement for almost 40 years.

Miller, 62, took over as chief deputy in the sheriff's office in October when Ken Baca retired from the position. Miller held the same post from 1998 to 2007. He began his career in law enforcement in 1974 as an officer in the Brunswick Police Department and has also worked as director of protective services at two Cleveland hospitals.

Miller left his position as supervisor of security at MetroHealth Systems to come back to the sheriff's department last fall. Prior to that, he headed security at St. Luke's Medical Center in Cleveland. He has also served as president of the Ohio Hospital Healthcare Safety and Security Association and was chairman of the Medina County Drug Task Force operating board.

Miller has also served on the Medina County Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board and the housing panel for United Way of Medina County.

Both Patterson and Miller have run for office before. Miller served as a city councilman in Brunswick and Patterson has been elected to two terms on the school board for the Medina County Educational Services Center.

Patterson is a graduate of Wooster High School who earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Akron in 1973. He also graduated from the Ohio Highway Patrol Academy and an advanced program in administration conducted by the Southern Police Institute.

Miller holds a bachelor's degree in sociology and a master's of science degree in urban studies from Cleveland State University.

Patterson said he has worked with Hassinger in the past but has not been directly involved with operations in the sheriff's department. He considers his position as an outsider in the department to be an advantage.

"I feel I can come into the department without any preconceptions and bring a new vision to the department," he said. "I think some fresh ideas will be good for both the department and the county."

Patterson said he is fiscally conservative and looks forward to the challenge of making the county's most expensive department more efficient.

"The people have given us a mandate to operate government with less," he said. He believes he can evaluate operations at the jail, courthouse, road division and every other area of responsibility for the sheriff and find ways to make them more efficient.

"I will work within the budget," Patterson said. "Even if the economy improves, I will run the department in a fiscally conservative way and I'll treat my employees as professionals and with respect while doing so."

Miller said, "Since beginning college after serving in the Navy, I have invested in myself to become knowledgeable of the criminal justice system and have served in one capacity or another the communities of Medina County for 38 years. I believe that my demonstrated leadership, breadth of experience and continued devotion to community service make me the best candidate for Medina County Sheriff."