A former chief deputy for the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department has filed paperwork to run in next year’s sheriff election, potentially against his former boss.
Corey Bagley, who worked as chief deputy under Sheriff Scott Kane for less than a year, filed paperwork last week with the Maine Ethics Commission disclosing his intent to run in 2026 for Hancock County sheriff. Like Kane, Bagley is a registered Republican.
Bagley worked for the sheriff’s department from the 1990s, starting out as a patrol deputy, until 2023. Soon after leaving the sheriff’s department, he took a job as a detective with the Ellsworth Police Department, where he currently works.
Prior to being selected by Kane in 2022 to serve as chief deputy, Bagley served as a lieutenant with the sheriff’s department for five years. He also worked for 13 years as an agent and then supervisor with Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Bagley declined to comment on his candidacy when reached by phone Wednesday afternoon.
Kane did not respond to messages requesting comment about next year’s anticipated race. He has not yet filed paperwork to seek reelection.
Bagley’s departure from the sheriff’s department 18 months ago caused friction between Kane and Hancock County commissioners, when the sheriff announced that he intended to rehire his brother, Patrick Kane, as chief deputy. Patrick Kane had retired from that same position in 2022 to take a job with a property development company.
Kane got into a public argument with Commissioner Bill Clark, who served as Hancock County sheriff from 1980 until 2014, about the nature of Bagley’s departure, according to a June 2023 report by The Ellsworth American. While Kane said that Bagley was retiring voluntarily, Clark accused Kane of forcing Bagley out.
Kane had told commissioners that he wanted to hire back his brother on an interim basis after Bagley left, the Ellsworth American reported. But some commissioners were concerned that Patrick Kane would only fill in part-time because, according to Clark, he also planned to keep his property development job.
After the commissioners decided to offer Patrick Kane only part-time pay without benefits, he decided not to accept, county officials said at the time.
Jon Mahon, a former Maine State Police lieutenant, later was appointed to the chief deputy role on an interim basis. The current chief deputy, William Birch, was appointed by Kane in March 2024.
