A Republican candidate has entered the race for Marion County sheriff.
Southport Police Chief Thomas Vaughn announced his candidacy in a press release issued by the Indy Republicans. Vaughn has been police chief since 2014 and previously worked in the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
In the release Vaughn stated he chose to run because “Our community is facing significant challenges, including rising juvenile crime, increasing demands on our jail system, and the need to restore confidence in the Sheriff's Office.”
Vaughn will be on the November ballot in Marion County as the Republican candidate for sheriff. Since no one ran in the Republican party’s primary, the party chair was able to appoint someone to run in the general election.
The Marion County sheriff oversees the security of government buildings, courts and the county jail, and serves criminal warrants. The office faces two central issues heading into the election: jail overcrowding and the office's relationship with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Vaughn will face Democratic candidate Kelvis Williams. Williams defeated Gregory Patrick in the May primaries with about 55% of the votes.
The general election is Tuesday, November 3.
Contact WFYI All Things Considered newscaster and reporter Samantha Horton at shorton@wfyi.org or on Signal at SamHorton.05
