08/29/2026
People have asked me, “Why should I vote for you? What makes you qualified?"
My answer begins long before I ever put on a uniform.
I grew up in the small town of Culver, been here my whole life, and I was not privileged by any stretch of the imagination. This was not simply a low-income home where a father worked his fingers to the bone trying to provide for his family. My childhood was much different. It was surrounded by many of the cases I have worked in my career, violence, instability, fear and many other things.
As a little kid, I often told myself, “If I make it out of this, I will never raise my family this way. I will never subject them to these kinds of unnecessary and selfish risks.”
That was the first step in becoming the person I am today. I came to understand that I could make different choices from those I had grown up watching. I often tell my children that my childhood was a constant lesson in what not to do.
The promise I made as a child also shaped the way I raised my own family. I wanted my children to grow up with stability, clear expectations, personal responsibility, and respect for others. Like every parent, I have made mistakes along the way, but raising them has been the greatest responsibility and privilege of my life. They remind me every day that where we begin does not have to determine where we end.
Those same lessons influence how I lead the Sheriff’s Office. Leadership is not about demanding respect or controlling people. It is about setting an example, establishing clear expectations, holding people accountable, and helping them grow and succeed.
One of my first jobs as an adult was driving truck. I earned my Class A CDL at 18 years old without attending truck-driving school. I learned by riding with my father, who was also a truck driver.
My father struggled with many things throughout his life before he passed away last June. Being a good truck driver was not one of those struggles. Getting my permit and driving with him are among the few good memories I have of my childhood. I can acknowledge those memories without pretending the rest of my childhood was something it was not.
While driving truck full time, I began serving with the City of Culver, first as a cadet and then as a reserve police officer. Deep down, I had always felt driven to become a cop. That calling came directly from the challenges I experienced growing up and from wanting to protect others from the things I had witnessed.
Fortunately, I also had people who refused to give up on me. Many of them were teachers who worked hard to keep me on track and helped me see that I could build a better life. I may not have been the best student or the smartest kid in the classroom, but the things they said eventually sank in. The life I have built is a testament to the difference they made.
Like many young adults, there was a time when I thought I had the world by the tail. Then reality hit. Life has a way of reminding all of us that we do not have everything figured out. Some of life’s hardest lessons become our greatest teachers, although sometimes it takes getting knocked down a few times before we understand what we are supposed to learn.
At the beginning of my law enforcement career, I faced serious personal and family challenges. I learned that there are people you simply cannot change, regardless of how much you love them, how deeply you care, or how much effort you invest. It is painful to step back and watch someone you love make choices that will carry lifelong consequences.
I witnessed that repeatedly as a child in our small, two-bedroom, one-bathroom house. I experienced it again as a young adult, and I have also endured the consequences of my own choices.
As my law enforcement career progressed, I began seeing pieces of my own childhood in the calls I responded to, the victims I helped, and the cases I investigated. My early life experiences are a major reason I have been so passionate and successful in this profession. At first, I did not understand how to use those experiences. With age and maturity, I learned that they helped me connect with people facing the same kinds of challenges I once faced.
I understand what it feels like to be the kid inside the house where deputies are responding. I understand instability, fear, embarrassment, anger, and the desire for a different life. Those experiences cannot be taught in a classroom or learned from a textbook.
I also faced challenges within the ranks of law enforcement. The authority structure itself was never the problem. The problem was how authority could sometimes be used or abused.
That brought back memories of the authority I experienced as a child. Children were expected to be seen and not heard. Hold the flashlight still. Stack the wood correctly. Do as you are told. Do not question anything. If the job was not done right, my father might kick the woodpile over, beat the hell out of us boys, and make us do it again.
That was disrespectful, fear-based authority. It taught us to be afraid to ask for help or even ask a simple question for clarification. It became another lesson in what not to do.
That kind of leadership is also bad for the long-term success of a Sheriff’s Office. It does not help recruit or retain good employees, and it does not develop future leaders.
Good leadership means setting clear expectations, holding people accountable, treating them with respect, and helping them succeed. It means reaching down the ladder and helping the next person climb. My responsibility is not merely to tell people what to do. It is to prepare them to succeed, encourage them to grow, and demonstrate through my own actions what hard work, responsibility, and respect should look like.
During my time as your Sheriff, I have faced many challenges. Some have brought tremendous rewards. Others have probably added more gray hair to my head and beard than I care to acknowledge.
Through it all, I have never forgotten how important this office is to our community. The position of Sheriff is respected in Jefferson County, and I never take that trust for granted.
I understand the law enforcement challenges facing our county. I understand what it takes to recruit and retain qualified employees, build an effective team, manage limited resources, and provide dependable service to the entire community. I have also learned when a Sheriff must take a firm stand, when patience is required, and when something must be allowed to rest as it is.
Over the last four years, I have built strong and lasting relationships with community partners. Those relationships have expanded our outreach and strengthened our ability to respond when a critical incident requires personnel and resources beyond what any single agency can provide.
My employees have faced these challenges alongside me. Together, we have built a stronger and more capable Sheriff’s Office, one that serves all 1,791 square miles of Jefferson County with professionalism, commitment, and pride.
What qualifies me to be Sheriff is not one title, certificate, or position. It is a lifetime of experiences, hard lessons, personal growth, law enforcement service, leadership, and an understanding of the people and communities we serve.
We cannot change where we came from, but we can learn from it, choose a different path, and work to give the next generation a stronger foundation.
That belief has guided me as a father, as a law enforcement officer, and as your Sheriff.
My goal is to continue building on what we have accomplished, continue developing the people within this office, and continue providing Jefferson County with the service it deserves.
Thank you for your trust, your encouragement, and your continued support.
