TOLEDO, Ohio — After Lucas County Sheriff John Tharp announced last September he will not seek re-election this year, six candidates have announced they are running for the position and five names will be on the primary ballot.
Here's a look at these candidates and what they are proposing.
Who are the Lucas County sheriff candidates?
Lt. Ronald Collins, Democrat
An Oregon resident, Lt. Ronald Collins is currently behind the administrative services division of the Lucas County Sheriff's Office, where he has worked since 1995.
Collins is running on a platform with three main issues.
The first is bringing the department to work as one team and creating a safer work atmosphere, which would include developing the office's road patrol unit and expanding in-house recovery services offered to inmates who suffer from addiction and mental health issues.
The second would be increasing community involvement by appointing a Community Relations Officer to develop a relationship between the sheriff's office and community leaders as well as increasing volunteering at community events.
Finally, Collins is proposing growing the department while addressing low staffing issues and remaining fiscally responsible. He promises to work side-by-side with the administration and union officials to achieve this goal.
During an interview with WTOL 11 in January, Collins also talked about the Lucas County jail.
"For the officer-wise, since I came in as a CO and (grew) from the ground up, I know some of the things they want to make it a safer and friendly environment not only for the officers but for the inmates because those people are in there just as much as our officers are," he said.
You can check his Facebook page, follow him on Twitter and on Instagram, or visit his website.
Toledo City Councilman Gary Johnson, Democrat
A businessman since 2005, Gary Johnson has served on Toledo City Council since Jan. 1, 2018.
While on the council, Johnson served as chairman of the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Committee and was a member of six other committees.
This past year, he was a "yes" vote on putting the administration's city income tax hike on the March 17 ballot. On Jan. 5, he talked about this issue on Leading Edge with Jerry Anderson.
"All in all, people know we have to get our roads fixed, Jerry. We have to pay 100% of the cost of repairing residential streets. We don't get any money from the state or anywhere else. And we've kicked that can down the road to a point we just don't have a whole lot more room if we are going to fix those streets," he said.
Aside from owning and being the CEO of AFI Contractors, Johnson has worked and trained with the Lucas County Sheriff’s Reserve since 1988. His experience with the sheriff's office included riding in the car with employed deputies and going on routine calls on various shifts.
Johnson has kept his reservist certification up to date since first joining the reserve and currently holds the rank of lieutenant and serves as a peace officer in the Lucas County Sheriff’s Reserve.
During his interview with Johnson, Jerry Anderson asked him if "an unpaid reserve position is adequate training to lead the sheriff's department."
"Absolutely, and for the first 10 years I was out on the road like any other deputy would be. So, I did get some training there. When you think about what the sheriff's office does, it's more bureaucratic, administrative than it is actually going out and fighting crime. That's not what the sheriff does," he said. "So, there are things like a budget that has to be looked at, there are things like working with people, running the jail, making sure that prisoner transport works well, the court system works well. All of those things are done."
You can check Johnson's Facebook page and website.
Former Lucas County Sherrif's Office Deputy Maurice Morris, Democrat
Maurice Morris started his law enforcement career as a police cadet with the Charleston County Sheriff's Office. He joined the Lucas County Sheriff's Office in 1994 and served as a deputy for 12 years, working in the jail until 2006.
Morris' employment with the sheriff's office was terminated after he was charged with assault and spent 45 days in jail. The charge has since been expunged from his record.
At that time, WTOL 11 reported that according to detectives, Morris punched a man while trying to make an arrest on March 5 at the Citizens of the Kingdom Church in Toledo. The then-41-year-old also faced a felony charge of perjury because investigators stated he lied about the incident to a grand jury.
"As a law enforcement officer, I felt it was my sworn duty to protect the citizens of Lucas County. In 2006, while attempting to arrest a man for sex crimes against a minor, which I personally witnessed, the charges were reversed and I found myself being charged with misdemeanor assault," he wrote on the "My story - a second chance" section of his website.
Morris is running on a platform that promises to ensure public safety by targeting the opioid crisis, sex trafficking and the exploitation of children. His proposals also include having a diverse sheriff's office personnel, having whistleblower protection and involving community leaders in finding solutions for the jail.
You can check his website and Facebook profile.
Lucas County Sheriff's Office Community Affairs Director Brett Warner, Republican
Brett Warner, the only candidate running as a Republican, started his career in law enforcement at the Waterville Township Police Department in 1993 and has been working at the Lucas County Sheriff's Office since 2003.
He started at the sheriff's office as the drug prevention officer. While in that position, he expanded the program to over 20 schools and focused a great portion of his time on youth safety, according to his website.
In 2012, he accepted his current position as the director of community affairs in which he provides press releases and safety information to the local media outlets. He also oversees the coordination and requirements of off-duty employers.
Warner is an Air Force veteran and has served 23 years in the military. In 2008, he retired from the armed forces as an Air Force Security Forces Master Sergeant.
Sheriff is not the first elected position Warner has sought. In fact, he has served as a Waterville Township Trustee for nine years.
The Lucas County Republican Party has endorsed his candidacy.
You can check his Facebook page or his website, and follow him on Twitter.
Oregon Police Chief Mike Navarre, Democrat
Mike Navarre served on the Toledo Police Department for 34 years and retired as chief of police on Oct. 21, 2011.
That same year, Navarre announced he was running for chief of police in Oregon, a position he has held since winning his bid.
As Toledo chief of police, Navarre implemented the Retired Senior Volunteers on Patrol program in 2000, the Crisis Intervention Team in 2001, and also acquired a police helicopter in 2001. In 2003, the police department became nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. In November 2000, the Toledo Police Department became the first city in the Midwest to utilize photo enforcement at intersections for red-light violations.
The number of Block Watch groups in the city of Toledo nearly tripled during his tenure, going from 59 groups in 1998 to nearly 140 in 2011.
On his website, Navarre says that as sheriff, he will partner with county officials to keep the jail in downtown Toledo. He also promises to keep Lucas County safe and ensure the sheriff's office is well equipped and fiscally responsible.
You can check his website and Facebook page.
Toledo Buffalo Soldiers president Earl Mack, Independent
A well-known figure in the Toledo-area community for his work at the Toledo Buffalo Soldiers, Earl Mack is also a U.S. Army veteran and has 39 years of experience serving in different roles of law enforcement.
Among his law enforcement duties, he has been a member of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force Executive Board as well as the Deputy Director of Ohio Homeland Security.
In the Army, Mack served as a medic on the Vietnam War. You can see his extensive resume here.
Mack is the only candidate who is not officially on the primary ballot, but voters can still write his name in.
"Some friends contacted me and a lot of people were sending messages, so I looked at it and I think I can do some good to help expand what Sheriff Tharp is already doing," Mack told WTOL 11 in December around the time he announced his candidacy.
One of Mack's proposals includes creating an atmosphere of partnership between the private and public business sectors. He argues that the majority of critical infrastructures are owned and operated by the private sector. So, in order to effectively protect the community, there is a need to have a collaborative relationship.
On his website, Mack also says he has the experience from law enforcement and as a community leader to tackle the opioid epidemic and youth violence issues.
In December, Mack told WTOL 11 he was looking to be seen as a community-oriented candidate, based on his work with programs in Toledo to end bullying and improve police and civilian relationships through training courses.
Additionally, he said he would continue Sheriff Tharp's work with the DART program.
You can check his Facebook page and his website.