An Ellsworth police detective who for many years worked for the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department has made public his plans to run for the sheriff position in 2026.
Corey Bagley filed with the state as a candidate for sheriff in January, but declined to comment on the filing when contacted a week later by the Bangor Daily News.
This week, Bagley has publicly confirmed his intent to run for the post. His decision to move ahead with his campaign was first reported by the Ellsworth American newspaper.
“I still feel like I have a lot to give” as a law enforcement officer, Bagley told the BDN on Wednesday.
He said when he worked for the county, he first served as a corrections officer at the county jail and then moved up to work as a patrol deputy, a D.A.R.E. officer, a lieutenant and as both an officer and then supervisor with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, as well as chief deputy.
“I kind of feel like it’s the next step,” Bagley said. “I feel like I can bring some stability to the department.”
The detective’s candidacy for sheriff is expected to create a primary challenge to his former boss, Sheriff Scott Kane, as both men are registered Republicans. Kane has held the position, and has not faced a challenger, since he was first elected to the position in 2014.
The sheriff did not respond Wednesday afternoon to a request for comment either about Bagley’s candidacy or whether he plans to seek re-election.
Bagley said he does not know if Kane plans to run for re-election or not. He said he did think about the prospects of running against Kane but decided Kane’s interest in retaining the position “wasn’t going to make a difference one way or the other.”
Bagley said he has created a campaign website and has social media accounts to promote his candidacy.
Bagley left the sheriff’s office two years ago after serving a tumultuous seven months as chief deputy under Kane. The rancor surrounding Bagley’s departure spilled over into public view when Bill Clark, a current Hancock County commissioner who retired as sheriff in 2014, accused Kane of pushing Bagley out so he could re-hire his brother as chief deputy.
Bagley replaced the sheriff’s brother, Patrick Kane, as chief deputy after Patrick Kane retired from the position in October 2022.
Bagley has declined to comment on his reasons for leaving the sheriff’s department.
At the time of Bagley’s departure, Scott Kane denied Clark’s allegations, saying that Bagley’s departure was a voluntary retirement. Bagley then started work as a detective with the Ellsworth Police Department just days after formally leaving his post with the county.
After Bagley’s departure, the sheriff’s department experienced a period of turnover.
County commissioners ended up offering the chief deputy job back to Patrick Kane, but only on a part-time basis, and he declined. Deputy Jon Mahon, a former Ellsworth city councilor and lieutenant with Maine State Police, served as chief deputy on a temporary basis before returning to his deputy position, around the same time that several other veteran officers departed for jobs elsewhere.
William Birch, who previously worked for the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department, has been Hancock County’s chief deputy since being hired for the job in March 2024.