Running for sheriff isn’t like running for any other office — voters expect you to know the job cold, because it touches their safety every single day. In this video, political consultant Jay Townsend walks through the five essentials of a sheriff’s campaign: knowing the job, building a network, crafting your message, advertising it, and raising the money to pay for it all.
Running for sheriff is a unique office, unlike any other office you could run for, and it requires a unique strategy. You are deep into the weeds of protecting public safety. Most sheriffs do road patrols and help enforce the law. Most have large staffs trained to respond to emergencies, and many run jails — a complicated operation, since every day sheriffs with jails have to transport dangerous criminals to court hearings, depositions, and meetings with lawyers, and get them there safely.
Here’s the point of knowing the job: voters intrinsically know that this office is very important to their safety, and if you don’t know what it entails, or you sound clueless, they won’t take you seriously as a candidate. So the first step, if you don’t already know, is to go to the website and look at all the responsibilities the sheriff in your community has, and make sure you’re familiar with them.
The second aspect of running for sheriff is developing a network of strong supporters, because nobody who ever runs for office gets there by themselves. There are two kinds of networks. The first is your own — family, friends, relatives, people who know you and like you, people you’ve served with in civic and community organizations, people from church or other activities you’ve been involved in. Where do you find them? Scroll through the contact list in your mobile phone — you’d be surprised how many names end up there. Look at your Facebook friends and see how many you know personally who might volunteer. Check your LinkedIn contacts too, since it’s full of bright, passionate people.
The second network is what I call the stakeholders — people who care passionately about who wins the election for sheriff and who holds the office. Most sheriff’s races are partisan, meaning you’re either a Republican or a Democrat, so the people who care passionately might include political party leaders and elected officials from your party. There are also special interest groups that care who sits in a sheriff’s office — look at who’s endorsed or given money to previous sheriff candidates and you’ll find them. Civic and community leaders, and in some communities important ethnic groups who like to be at the table in discussions with the sheriff, round out this group. Between the people you already know and the stakeholders you should get to know, you can build a strong network of supporters who’ll help with money, endorsements, and volunteering.
Make sure you’re an expert on your jurisdiction, because it’s very difficult to prosecute a campaign when you don’t know your market. Start by looking at past turnout patterns in elections to get a rough estimate of how many people you’d expect to vote in the year you’re running — turnout varies year by year. Next, look at the partisan identification of the people in your county so you understand the number of Democrats, Republicans, and unenrolled voters. Then dig into demographics — age, income, race, ethnicity, and education level — so you can segment your target list and make special appeals to niche groups. Skip this and you’re flying blind, wasting money advertising to people who were never going to vote for you. It’s just good basic politics to take a deep dive into this subject.
Voters will have several basic questions for you, even if they never articulate them this way. First, what are your qualifications? What have you done in your life that gives you the right to ask for power that affects the safety and security of their family? Have you ever served in a law enforcement organization, been a policeman or a sheriff’s deputy, been a judge, or dealt with criminal and civil matters? Those qualifications matter to voters when you’re running for sheriff.
Second, what can you tell voters that lets them know your values, your moral code, your notions of right and wrong, are in sync with theirs? Do you have pictures on your website that show you care about veterans, school children, law enforcement officers, or the health and well-being of the community during an emergency? That says something about your moral code.
Third, what problem are you going to fix? What policy will you advance to improve the operation of the sheriff’s office? What injustice might you correct, and how will you do the job — perhaps with less money or more efficiently? Voters will expect you to tell them, because they know it affects them too.
There are many ways to advertise your message, and it depends on how many voters you need to reach and where they get their information. Social media is inexpensive and efficient — time-consuming, yes, but a great tool to exploit in any contest. Digital or internet ads, the kind that pop up when people are looking for local news or weather, are another good tool. In political campaigns there’s also direct mail, or persuasion mail. In some communities radio is still popular, and depending on the size of your jurisdiction there’s CTV, OTT TV, cable TV, and commercial TV. Don’t assume you can just pick one and reach everybody — you’re going to need a mix. The bottom line is finding the cheapest way to reach the people who need to hear your message.
Unless you intend to pay for the campaign out of your own pocket, you’ll need to raise money. There’s no law against asking family, friends, relatives, and people you know for a campaign contribution. There’s also surrogate fundraising — I’ve seen candidates’ good friends say, let me help you, I know a lot of people you don’t, and I’m going to get on the phone and bring you an envelope full of checks. That’s perfectly legal. There’s direct mail, Facebook ads, YouTube videos you can use to appeal for money, and the tried-and-true cocktail parties, dinner parties, and celebrity events. Don’t ignore your fundraising.
Q: Why is knowing the job so important for a sheriff candidate?
A: Voters intrinsically know the sheriff’s office affects their safety every day — from road patrols to running the jail to transporting dangerous criminals to court. If you sound clueless about what the job entails, voters won’t take you seriously, so the first step is reviewing your sheriff’s department website and learning every responsibility of the office.
Q: What are the two kinds of networks I need to build for a sheriff campaign?
A: The first is your personal network — family, friends, people from church, civic groups, and your phone, Facebook, and LinkedIn contacts. The second is your stakeholder network — party leaders, elected officials in your party, special interest groups, and civic and ethnic community leaders who care who holds the office, whom you can find by looking at who’s endorsed or funded past sheriff candidates.
Q: How do I know if I’m advertising to the right voters?
A: Study your jurisdiction: look at past turnout patterns to estimate how many people will vote this year, check the partisan makeup of registered voters, and dig into age, income, race, ethnicity, and education demographics so you can segment your target list and make appeals to specific niche groups. Skipping this means flying blind and wasting money on voters who were never going to support you.
Q: What questions do voters expect a sheriff candidate to answer?
A: What are your qualifications — have you served in law enforcement, as a judge, or dealt with criminal and civil matters? Are your values and moral code in sync with theirs? And what specific problem or policy will you fix or improve in how the sheriff’s office operates?
Q: What’s the full range of ways to advertise and raise money for a sheriff campaign?
A: Advertising options include social media, digital or internet ads, direct or persuasion mail, radio, and various forms of TV depending on your jurisdiction’s size — and you’ll likely need a mix rather than just one. Fundraising options include personal asks to family and friends, surrogate fundraising through friends who make calls on your behalf, direct mail, Facebook and YouTube appeals, and traditional cocktail parties, dinner parties, and celebrity events.
Jay Townsend has spent more than 40 years advising candidates for sheriff and other offices at every level of American politics. Jay sets aside time each week to speak with prospective candidates, so click the link in the video description to get in touch. Browse the full resource library at JayTownsend.com or subscribe to Jay’s YouTube channel for new campaign strategy videos every week.
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