Moss, Owens to square off in Cambria Democratic sheriff primary, GOP candidate Robertson awaits winner

May 15—EBENSBURG — The race for the Cambria County sheriff's office will see a pair of Democratic candidates competing in Tuesday's primary election, while the county's acting sheriff runs unopposed on the Republican side of the primary.

Adams Township Chief of Police Kirk A. Moss and Stonycreek Township officer and part-time sheriff's deputy Tom Owens are vying for the Democratic nomination, with acting Sheriff Don Robertson running for the seat as a Republican candidate.

Kirk A. Moss

Moss, a member of the Adams Township Police Department since 1981, earned promotion to chief of police in 2007. He previously ran against then-incumbent Sheriff Bob Kolar in the 2017 Democratic primary on a platform of bringing fiscal responsibility to the office.

Four years later, Moss carries the same plans for the office.

"My main goal is to get spending under control," Moss said. "My thought is that there's overspending and it's been there for a while. I believe there's a more-than-competent staff there, and I would think that what I have to offer, I want to believe — my 40 years of experience in law enforcement in Cambria County and the administrative experience that I've gained — is a plus."

In 2020, Adams Township was ranked third by SafeWise in a Top 100 list of safest "cities" in Pennsylvania. The ranking considers only communities with populations of 10,000 or greater, with local police departments, and that have submitted a complete crime report to the FBI.

Moss, a Forest Hills High School and Johnstown Regional Police Academy graduate, is an active member of the Adams Township Volunteer Fire Department, first joining when he was 16. He was elected president of the department 12 years after joining and has been elected to that post consistently in the 32 years since.

He is the president of the Mainline Police Association of Cambria County, while serving as a member of Cambria County Crime Stoppers, the Cambria County Coroner's Office Child Death Review Team and the Cambria County Drug Task Force.

Moss is also a part of the Forest Hills Municipal Authority, where he has served as chairman of the board since appointment in 2002. In 2018, Moss was appointed by the Richland Township Board of Supervisors to the Pegasus Sewer Authority, which serves Richland and Conemaugh townships.

"I'm the only candidate that has the amount of fiscal responsibility that I have," Moss said. "The sewer authorities, the fire hall and the other organizations, we all deal with budgets."

Tom Owens

Owens also got his start in public service as a volunteer firefighter before ascending to the rank of assistant fire chief.

Owens has also worked as a paramedic, eventually taking on the role of manager at West End Ambulance Service.

His platform is based on boosting the office's performance while also aiding the county that it serves.

"Some of my goals would be working on policies and procedures, hoping to improve the efficiency of the office while being fiscally responsible to the taxpayers of Cambria County," Owens said. "I'd look at ways to improve the safety and security of the county facilities as well as the neighborhoods and communities throughout Cambria County.

"I think it's important for whoever's the sheriff that they look at ways of improving the quality of life throughout Cambria County."

Owens was a reservist in the U.S. Marine Corps and spent 22 years as a member of the Johnstown Police Department. As a member of Johnstown police, Owens was a patrol officer and K-9 handler before gaining promotion to detective sergeant. He then supervised the Bureau of Criminal Investigation for more than 10 years.

As a police officer, Owens was deputized by state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the Office of Attorney General, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Marshals Service. He also was a member of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and was the primary narcotics investigator for Johnstown.

After retiring from the Johnstown Police Department, Owens became chief Cambria County detective and was field supervisor for the county's drug task force.

He is one of the founding members of the Johnstown Special Emergency Response Team, which grew into Cambria County SERT, which Owens commanded for more than a decade.

"I believe that the voters of Cambria County have the right to choose their next sheriff," Owens said. "I will continue to work hard every day for the voters of Cambria County. I believe that I have the experience and leadership to move Cambria County forward, and I would be honored to have their vote."

Robertson, who spent 24 years with the Johnstown Police Department before retiring in 2017, assumed the post of acting sheriff in May 2020 following Kolar's passing. Robertson announced his candidacy in January.

While with Johnstown police, he served in roles including patrolman, bomb dog handler, firearms instructor and supervisor of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. He was a member of the Cambria County Special Emergency Response Team (SERT), rising to the position of SERT commander. He was also a member of the Cambria County Drug Task Force, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force.

Before joining the Johnstown Police Department, Robertson enlisted in the United States Army, served with the 89th Military Police Brigade during the first Gulf War, and was honorably discharged in 1991.

"I think my resume speaks for itself," Robertson said. "Four years under Bob Kolar as a deputy and now here running the office. I think that more than qualifies me to continue to stay sheriff of Cambria County."

Running unopposed in the Republican primary race hasn't meant that Robertson is coasting until the general election in November.

"I lean on the people who are helping me in the campaign," Robertson said. "I just keep trying to put my name out as often as I can. I really don't know if (running unopposed) helps or hurts. We'll find out Nov. 4 if it helped or hurt. I'll just keep moving forward and see what happens."

While his opponent is undetermined, Robertson is focusing on the task of winning an election in the fall.

"I'm not running against anybody," Robertson said. "I'm running for the office of sheriff of Cambria County. But I think my qualifications speak for themselves. I have the experience of running the office. The men and women of this office know what I'm capable of doing and that I can lead this office. I've steered them through some pretty tough times in this past year, and I think that more than solidifies that."