Elections to choose Macon County’s next sheriff won’t begin until next year, but the race has already become more of a high speed chase.
Sheriff Robert Holland announced on June 18 that he would retire at the end of his current term, capping off his tenure in the position at 20 years. Within the next two weeks, five candidates – Chris Browning, Bob Cook, Dereck Jones, Brent Holbrooks and Clay Bryson – had issued statements of organization to the Macon County Board of Elections so that they could begin campaigning and fundraising.
Official filing for the race doesn’t start until December, so election officials are baffled to see so much interest in the race this early.
“We’re trying to get everything ready for the municipal elections and the phones are ringing off the hook about next year,” said Melanie Thibault, director of the Board of Elections. “It’s a very busy and interesting time around here.” Filing for the municipal elections opened Friday, July 2.
According to the candidates, this rush of interest isn’t driven by rash decisions so much as a long wait. Holland has been sheriff since 2002 and has maintained very strong electoral support throughout his time in office, garnering a commanding 63.07% of the vote in 2018. Jones, a current deputy with the sheriff’s office, said effectively running the department requires intensive knowledge of how law enforcement works in Macon County and experience that can only be earned through time on the job. Once you have that experience, there’s not a whole lot more to think about.
“This is something I’ve planned for for at least 10 years,” Jones said. “I’ve worked every facet of law enforcement under the sheriff’s office because I believe whoever takes over must know all four corners of the job.”
Jones, Holbrooks and Bryson are all current officers with the Macon County Sheriff’s Office. Browning served with the department between 1998 and 2003. Only Cook has never worked for the department before, but he does have 22 years of other law enforcement experience and, while he respects the job Holland has done, he believes Macon County is due for a change. In fact, he says he resolved to run in April, thinking Holland would be his main opponent.
“A vote for any other candidate in the sheriff’s race is actually a vote to keep things the same, or nearly the same,” Cook said. “From what I am being told, that is not what the citizens want.”
The candidates also generally agree that the transition into the next sheriff’s administration will be a critical turning point for Macon County. The sheriff is one of the county’s most influential officials and if the next one sticks around for as long as Holland, they’ll be the only sheriff some children born in Macon County ever know. Holbrooks says that creating a safe and prosperous environment for those youths to grow up in should be a top priority for the next sheriff.
“I have a deep commitment to our next generation of children and young adults,” Holbrooks said. “Serving alongside others that are dedicated to our youth and their future will be a cornerstone of my run for sheriff and a purposeful strategy of the sheriff’s office if I am elected.”
Browning says that public safety needs to be taken more seriously right away, especially in regard to preventing greater proliferation of drug abuse.
“It is absolutely very critical that our drug problem is addressed with fresh new ideas and determination to put our community drug dealers in jail,” Browning said.
Bryson says the sheriff’s office is in great working condition. While he would focus on changes like expanding training opportunities, he believes they’re already in a strong position.
“I want to build on the foundation laid by Sheriff Holland during his tenure to continue to grow and advance the agency,” Bryson said. “I feel like because I have the unique advantage of experiencing first-hand the multitude of ways law enforcement serves Macon County, I will be able to confidently lead the Macon County Sheriff’s Office with experience and integrity to best serve the community as Macon County’s next sheriff.”
Considering that the filing period doesn’t even begin for another five months, there are likely even more candidates on the way for the sheriff’s race. Holland hasn’t endorsed any one candidate yet and with several of his officers competing for the position, it’s quite possible that he won’t do so. However, given the strength of the field so far, he’s confident that the future is bright for his department.
“They didn’t wait until they were asking for the top position before they demonstrated commitment and service to the citizens of Macon County,” Holland said in a June 28 release about Bryson, Holbrooks and Jones. “They have all been serving with integrity and professionalism for many years. I look forward to seeing where their campaign trails take them.”
Candidates can officially file to run for county office in 2022 starting on Monday, Dec. 6 and through Friday, Dec. 17. The primary will be on March 8, 2022. For more information, call the Macon County Board of Elections at 828-349-2034.