By SAMANTHA HORTON for WFYI
Marion County voters this November will choose between two candidates for sheriff. The county includes Indianapolis and is the most populated county in the state with more than 992,000 people.
The Marion County sheriff’s responsibilities include oversight of security at government buildings and courts as well as the county jail and serving criminal warrants. The term is four years.
The winner will replace Sheriff Kerry Forestal, who is term-limited for this position and cannot seek reelection. Forestal is running for the open Indiana Senate District 31.
The office faces two central issues heading into the election: jail overcrowding and the role’s relationship with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Democrat Kelvis Williams won his party’s spring primary. He has more than 40 years of experience in law enforcement. Williams started at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in 2009 and is currently the deputy chief of the Homeland Security Division. In the position he oversees security for county buildings and major events in Indianapolis.
Republican Tom Vaughn was selected by the Marion County Republican Party chair in July for the general election, after no Republican candidates ran in the May primary. He has nearly 30 years of experience in law enforcement. Vaughn has been Southport police chief since 2014 and previously worked in the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. He said he decided to run to “restore confidence in the sheriff’s office.”
WFYI contacted each campaign to conduct candidate interviews. We used voter feedback to guide our questions. For candidates who did not respond, information was gathered from campaign websites and social media. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.
Tom Vaughn
Personal information provided by candidate.
Party: Republican
Website: thomasvaughnforsheriff.com
Age: 57
Occupation: Chief of Police, City of Southport
Residence: Indianapolis
Notable donors: Will update when information is released
Vaughn accepted WFYI’s invitation to an interview. Below is the full, unedited video interview and transcript. WFYI fact checked statements about publicly available data.
Kelvis Williams
Personal information provided by candidate.
Party: Democrat
Website: kelviswilliams4sheriff.com
Age: Not verified
Occupation: Executive Officer, Marion County Sheriff’s Office
Residence: Indianapolis
Notable donors: Will update when information is released
Top priorities: Williams said in a campaign video that he believes in “standing up for justice and treating everyone with dignity and respect.”
Williams accepted WFYI’s invitation to an interview. Below is the full, unedited video interview and transcript. WFYI fact checked statements about publicly available data.
For the complete article featuring videos and transcripts, visit WFYI.
