Sheriff J. Steve Sheldon wins sixth straight primary, unopposed ahead of November election

Lou Whitmire, Mansfield News Journal
·2 min read

Richland County Sheriff J. Steve Sheldon won the Republican primary Tuesday night for his sixth straight time, with 8,241 votes (57%), according to final, unofficial results released Tuesday night by the Richland County Board of Elections.

Richland County Sheriff Steve Sheldon accepts his party's nomination Tuesday night after winning the Republican primary for the sixth consecutive time. He was first elected sheriff in 2004 and, as of March 19, was running unopposed for the seat.
Richland County Sheriff Steve Sheldon accepts his party's nomination Tuesday night after winning the Republican primary for the sixth consecutive time. He was first elected sheriff in 2004 and, as of March 19, was running unopposed for the seat.

The Richland County sheriff and two longtime former Richland County Sheriff's Office employees ― Matt Mayer and Donald Zehner ― competed in Tuesday's Republican primary for a four-year term in office.

Mayer garnered 4,651 votes (32.17%) of the votes and Zehner received 1,566 votes (10.83%), according to the board of elections.

There is no Democrat in the race. That means the primary winner earns the seat in November, barring successful challenges from independent and write-in candidates.

Sheldon, 69, said he was very happy to accept the Republican nomination for sheriff.

"I've got a great, great number of employees and we just need to press forward and keep doing what we're doing," he said. "I'm very, very happy and happy with my people and happy with my employees," Sheldon said. "We've accomplished a lot and we're going to even get more accomplished for the citizens."

Sheldon worked at the Mansfield Police Department before coming to the sheriff's office. He also worked at the Crestline Police Department.

Sheldon's accomplishments as sheriff include construction of a new jail and implementing the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force in Richland County and more.

If re-elected, he earlier this month said he wants to:

  • continue to pursue funding for medical care to ensure inmates’ medical needs are evaluated and met within two hours of entry into our facility;

  • continue to address the drug pandemic in Richland County; and

  • to continue to expand our state-of-the-art 911 center, I plan to implement (Next Generation) 911.

Running for sheriff has been Mayer's goal since he started at the sheriff’s office on March 21, 1988. He retired in 2013. He said earlier he wants to restore Integrity and honor to the sheriff’s office. "I feel a change is needed," said Mayer, who has 36 years in law enforcement, 18 years as a supervisor, with 28½ years at the Richland County Sheriff's Office and more than two decades as a major crimes investigator.

Zehner, a Shelby native, served more than 30 years with the Richland County Sheriff’s Office and last held the rank of captain of the Operations Bureau, overseeing all road patrol deputies, community policing deputies, major crimes detectives, METRICH detectives, Northern Ohio Fugitive Task Force detectives and the school resource officers.

lwhitmir@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Richland County Sheriff Sheldon wins 8,241 votes for Republican Party