Brad Sandefur

Brad Sandefur (Libertarian Party) is running for election for Cook County Sheriff in Illinois. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. He advanced from the Libertarian Party primary on March 17, 2026.

Biography

Brad Sandefur was born in Evansville, Indiana. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1980 to 1981. He earned an associate degree from Oakton Community College in 1987, a bachelor's degree from Roosevelt University in 2015, and a graduate degree from Liberty University in 2018. Sandefur's career experience includes working as a law enforcement officer, waiter, busboy, dishwasher, host, salesman, handyman's assistant, bartender, bar manager, retail manager, security worker, and tutor.^[1]

Elections

2026

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for Cook County Sheriff

Incumbent Thomas Dart (D) and Brad Sandefur (L) are running in the general election for Cook County Sheriff on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Thomas Dart (D)
		Brad Sandefur (L)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Democratic primary

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Democratic primary for Cook County Sheriff

Incumbent Thomas Dart (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Cook County Sheriff on March 17, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Thomas Dart	100.0	280,877

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source	Total votes: 280,877
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Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 17, 2026, was canceled.

Libertarian Party primary

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Libertarian primary for Cook County Sheriff

Brad Sandefur (L) advanced from the Libertarian Party primary for Cook County Sheriff on March 17, 2026.

		Candidate
✔		Brad Sandefur

	There were no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Sandefur received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.

Libertarian Party of Chicago

2022

General election

General election for Cook County Sheriff

Incumbent Thomas Dart defeated Lupe Aguirre and Brad Sandefur in the general election for Cook County Sheriff on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Thomas Dart (D)	74.2	1,041,525
		Lupe Aguirre (R)	22.9	321,252
		Brad Sandefur (L)	2.9	40,752

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,403,529
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Cook County Sheriff

Incumbent Thomas Dart defeated Noland Rivera in the Democratic primary for Cook County Sheriff on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Thomas Dart	86.2	314,427
	Submit photo	Noland Rivera	13.8	50,455

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 364,882
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for Cook County Sheriff

Brad Sandefur advanced from the Libertarian primary for Cook County Sheriff on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brad Sandefur	100.0	1,957

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,957
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

Brad Sandefur has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Brad Sandefur asking him to fill out the survey. If you are Brad Sandefur, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

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You can ask Brad Sandefur to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing contact@sandefurforsheriff.org.

Campaign website

Sandefur's campaign website stated the following:

Thank you for taking a moment to see what I represent and believe:

Eliminate or modify Safe-T Act
Modify the Pretrial Fairness Act (PFA)
Mental health diversion programs without creating an arrest record
More residential psychiatric facilities
More drug rehabilitation residential programs requiring longer stays
Re-instill basic discipline
Revamp the Sheriff's Merit Board
Create more objective disciplinary procedures for sworn staff
Better pre-hire investigations
Streamline discharge procedures when someone is ordered released from Sheriff's custody.
Work fairly and equally with all law enforcement agencies acting properly under the U.S. Constitution.
The listed bullet points are a partial list. The section is a bit lengthy because it is a shortened version of my position paper, so I did not want to add a lengthy bullet list:

I have been married for 35 years. My wife and I have four children, including a disabled grandson whom we adopted. In total, we have three grandchildren. I have been employed by the sheriff's department for 35 years, having married and started for the department in the same year, 1990.
I am conservative. I am steadfastly against the SAFE-T Act and the laughably named 'Pretrial Fairness' Act, which was an amendment to the SAFE-T ACT, a bill approved by Democrats who never read the bill. They just signed under pressure from their party's liberal leaders. I am currently assigned to the office that ensures current cases have been brought to the attention of the appropriate court before approving any release. Due to the SAFE-T and Pretrial Fairness Act. I am forced to release repeat offenders, even after they violate the terms of their 'pretrial fairness' release conditions.
Daily, I release individuals with lengthy, longstanding criminal histories, some histories exceeding eighty pages. Often, these offenders are being released after accusations of domestic violence, while having previous convictions for domestic violence, illegal weapons possession, and in some cases, having been accused or convicted of murder or attempted murder. We are releasing those convicted or accused of innumerable batteries, assaults, robberies, burglaries, and drug-dealing. Many are rearrested and rereleased within days of their most recent release, and even worse, some on the same or next day after release. This cannot be how we keep Cook County safe.
I am told to ignore detainers from some law enforcement agencies, while being ordered to attach similar or like holds for other federal agencies. For instance, I am told not to attach detainers sent from Immigration and Customs Enforcement unless they are judicially signed. However, if I receive a non-judicially signed detainer from the U.S. Marshal, the ATFE, the United States Postal police, or local agencies, I am allowed to place holds. We should be working with all law enforcement agencies that are acting within the laws of our nation.
The Governor and the Chicago mayor falsely claim that crime has gone down. Data shows that ten-year crime trends are up. Data also shows that the statistics are unquestionably being manipulated to make crime look as if it is lower, when, in reality, that is not the case. This done, for example, by reporting a burglary as a theft., an attempted murder as a battery, and so forth. Not all crimes are reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), who is responsible for gathering statistics for the reporting agencies. and not all agencies report their crime statistics to the FBI.
The day that the Chicago mayor reported lower violent crime statistics, twenty-two people were shot in Chicago, and four died. A few days later, fifty-eight people were shot and 8 died Chicago shootings: 58 shot, 8 fatally, in Labor Day... The Chicago mayor, along with the Governor, refused federal assistance, and recently, at least one person was murdered in the Chicago mayor's own neighborhood, all while the mayor prevented a local law incorporating enforceable curfews for young teens, who appear responsible for the violence Chicago police investigating homicide near Mayor Brandon Johnso…. Is this law enforcement in Cook County?
We are also locking up mentally ill or disabled people who do not belong in jail or prison. They belong in residential psychiatric facilities. Easily manipulated learning disabled or those with learning difficulties, are often groomed and manipulated by criminals, as seen in the documentary, 'Making a Murder.' I complained about this in the last election.
Suddenly, during election time, the Governor, released forty million dollars for mental health care, having ignored it and closed most mental health facilities prior to the election and my bringing awareness to the lack of residential mental health facilities available, and as was already somewhat known, also bringing attention to the fact that the Cook County jail was the largest mental health facility in the state. How does a jail being seen as the largest mental health facility help those not incarcerated to get help before they become law enforcement statistics? Further, drug addiction rehabilitation programs are far too short for reliable recovery and long-term abstinence.
The Sheriff's Department is also hiring poorly vetted individuals to become law enforcement officers. It is important for everyone to understand that the deputies assigned to the jail are just that...deputies. In addition to having correctional officer training, they are certified peace officers, with the ability and responsibility to take action in any police-necessitated circumstance. They are restricted in these responsibilities only by department policy, not state law. They also receive less training than necessary to be able to responsibly handle many situations, though if they do not act, they can be held liable by omission and be terminated.
The Sheriff's Merit Board is not doing proper background investigations of those they certify for hire. I was told this directly by a Merit Board member. The Merit Board needs to be revamped, its responsibilities reexamined, and how members are appointed needs to be changed, as some receive the position as a political reward, not due to any qualifications. I want the deputy sheriffs, regardless of assignment, to have full arrest procedures training. I want arrest processing stations at the jail, as opposed to full authority peace officers needing to call someone from outside their ranks to complete or take over their arrest. This takes coverage off the streets and serves as a demeaning of the sworn officers who took action against an alleged offender.
Street units not directly attached to the sheriff's police are not trained in felony stop procedures. When I was an Electronic Monitoring investigator, even though I was assigned to a street unit that responded to assistance calls, I was not trained on felony arrest procedures, handling domestic abuse calls, emergency driving, or pursuit driving. I have since been trained on all of these procedures, but received limited pursuit driving training. Further, I am an exception to the rule. I received the training only because I was selected to serve on specialized units and because I was one of the few who went through the police academy. This is not responsible law enforcement training, preparedness, or redundancy. More cross-training is necessary.
OPR investigators and Department of Corrections Superintendents are often hired with little or no law enforcement, investigative or corrections experience. When I was on the tactical unit, known as S.O.R.T., it was run by a plumber, not a law enforcement professional. The jail is currently run by a psychologist, not a law enforcement or corrections specialist. I want to change these hiring practices.
The sheriff's office recently hired and trained thirty new deputies. The working conditions and discipline applied by the administration are so terrible that 12 of those new hires quit at one time on the same day. after only one week out of their academy training. The working atmosphere is completely unprofessional, from timeliness to appearance to foul mouths. This lack of discipline leads to lackadaisical job performance and a belief that it is not necessary to follow or carry out lawful orders from supervisors. These policies are not enforced by supervisors unless they are threatened with suspension for not taking action. We need to change the working atmosphere and the department's culture.
The sheriff's department has weaponized 'Brady Doctrine' (Brady v. Maryland, 1963). This case was intended to ensure integrity among prosecutors. Yet, the doctrine has rarely been used against prosecutors and has nearly exclusively been used against law enforcement officers, who became part of the Brady Doctrine through its progeny, often when such use was not warranted. Further, the Sheriff's department puts deputies on their 'Brady list,' does not tell the affected deputy, and does not allow, or have a procedure for, due process related to the false attachments. This means many deputies are unfairly and incorrectly labeled as 'Brady cops, destroying their careers or advancement opportunities, if they are not terminated based on the accusation. Many states, such as Iowa and Arizona, to mention just two, have become aware of this abuse, and their legislature has passed laws to ensure fairness in Brady application. However, this does not exist in the sheriff's department or in Illinois, causing an unfair and never-ending form of discipline against the accused law enforcement officers. Such practices make officers hesitant to act for fear of unreasonable retribution, as currently occurs with many perfectly legal law enforcement actions and activities.
The Sheriff's department has supply issues. It took me three years just to get new chairs for the Transportation office. I remember in older days when deputies were sitting on milk crates, even to drive a bus, because the bus had no driver's seat, and the department did not have enough buses. The transportation unit has 27 buses assigned. These buses are of poor quality and spend more time in repair than in operation. As of two weeks ago, only five of the buses were operational. No one asks the Transportation deputies what they need in a bus. No one examines the quality of reliability of the vehicles purchased, only the price.
As can be seen from this relatively short list of issues, there are many problems within the Sheriff's department. I would like a chance to fix some of them. I understand this will be difficult in a County that cannot close its budget but continues to unconstitutionally give tax dollars to illegal immigrants who should not be here, and even legal immigrants are required to be self-sustaining and are not allowed to rely on public funds for sustainment. Yet, the Chicago mayor just ordered the Chicago police department to make $98 million in budget cuts to try to reduce its own budget deficit, while continuing to give millions to illegal immigrants.
Finally, I will say again that I am a conservative. My values and morals are from God and Jesus, my conservative father and stepmother, and my hometown. I am not a MAGA conservative. I am not a republican. However, quickly, unrealized by many, Illinois is about 47% conservative/republican. The state is consistently 'blue' due only to the horrible gerrymandering done by the Illinois legislature. If the congressional districts were fairly drawn, instead of having 14 Democrats and only three Republican/Conservative U.S. representatives, the state would have more along the lines of 9 Democrats and 8 Republican/Conservatives, and possibly one Republican/Conservative U.S. Senator. Keep that in mind when you hear the liberals complain about conservative gerrymandering.
Finally, I am not a politician. I am a law enforcement officer who wants to bring back enforcement in law enforcement and make Cook County a safer and better place for everyone.

— Brad Sandefur's campaign website (March 29, 2026)

Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

2022

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released July 23, 2022

Brad Sandefur completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sandefur's responses.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a married 62-year-old father of four. I am an Independent who leans conservative and runs on the Libertarian Party ticket. My wife of 32 years and I adopted our disabled grandson, who became our fourth and youngest child. I have 32 years with the sheriff's department and continue to work as a deputy sheriff supervisor.

I am a former U.S. Marine and have been working in various forms of law enforcement for over forty years. I hold a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a forensic psychology cognate, am currently a Doctoral candidate, and am also a published scholar. In law enforcement, I am a certified tactical officer and a certified academy instructor. and I have trained with the FBI, the Secret Service, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. I have been a law enforcement supervisor for 26 years and a shift commander for 17 years. I believe we need to put some enforcement back into law enforcement.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Turn the sheriff's department into a well-rounded public safety department
More mental health treatment and less imprisonment for mentally ill suspects
Stop sentencing children to life in prison

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Finding alternatives to incarceration for youth, mentally, and non-violent, first-time offenders. Developing more preemptive programs to divert people away from people and influences that have a propensity to lead people toward criminal activity. Getting all political influences out of law enforcement agencies' hiring, promoting, firing, and operational planning. We should be an arm for American citizens, not politicians.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

This is the sheriff for the second-most populated county in the United States. 40% of Illinois' total population resides in this county. Representatives come from all over the world to see how the Cook County Sheriff's department does things. This department can be a standard bearer for relegitimizing law enforcement, regaining community confidence in law enforcement, and appreciating and respecting its sworn members and the civilian staff that support them.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to my father. He set an example of what a father who does not abandon his responsibilities is all about. My father lost custody of his children in the early 1960s. He spent several years fighting to get us back. Nothing would stop him. he eventually succeeded, regaining custody of us in 1969. For all practical purposes, my mother abandoned us, but our father never quit on us, which is exactly what I had engraved on his tombstone.

He spent forty years as a factory worker, something I could never do. I know this because I tried three times to stick with factory work and I just could not do it. There were some well-known people in my family. They rubbed elbows with the rich and famous. However, my father's whole focus was on his family, cars, and fishing. We were never rich, but we had everything we needed.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The ability and willingness to learn and listen combined with honesty, integrity, credibility, a willingness to direct and delegate, and knowledge of servant-leadership.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Determination, honesty. integrity, credibility, willingness to serve, willing to accept responsibility for failures, and willing to share credit for successes.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To protect everyone fairly and equally, to enforce the laws that keep people safe, and to train and educate their staff, sworn and civilian, as well as to educate the public on what law enforcement is and is not allowed to do. It will be important to strengthen existing bonds and build new and stronger bonds and trust within all communities within the county.

What legacy would you like to leave?

That we got politics out of law enforcement, that law-abiding citizens and law enforcement officers were held and treated with the respect they deserve and that we improved the direction of lives for those who were headed in the wrong direction, making all communities safer, and that we stopped locking up the mentally ill for behaviors that were beyond their control; and helped restore them to a functional state that will keep them out of confinement.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first major incident that occurred during my lifetime was the assassination of President Kennedy. The first major incident that I can remember was the assassination of Robert Kennedy.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was running my own landscaping business. I was 12 or 13, and I did it for several years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

To Kill a Mockingbird.

It shows how anyone can improve things by not being afraid to go against mainstream beliefs based on superstition and false facts.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

I am pretty happy being me and have never had a strong desire to pretend I am someone other than who I am.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

If I Can Dream by Elvis Presley

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Trusting others and dealing with a family of people with disabilities.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

As one of my main goals is to remove political influences from the sheriff's department and how they determine their operational plans, political experience is meaningless. Experience in 'boots on the ground' law enforcement is important, not necessarily experience in government. Many government employees have experience at their specific job but that does not qualify as government experience in the context usually meant by such a statement. This statement normally implies experience in administering or administrating government programs or agencies.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

In any law enforcement position, the most important qualities are the ability to communicate, meaning the ability to give clear direction and to listen, and the ability to take charge with knowledge and confidence while instilling confidence in others that you are giving good direction backed by knowledge, experience, and ability with the best interests of law-abiding American citizens at heart.

The ability to direct resources to problem areas and develop new strategies for reducing crime and increasing the successful creation of safe and productive citizens to aid in creating safer and more producitve neighborhoods and communities.

Tell us your favorite joke.

will only state that I appreciate jokes that some may find offensive.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 24, 2022

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 24, 2022

[1]

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Brad Sandefur

Biography

Elections

2026

General election

General election for Cook County Sheriff

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Cook County Sheriff

Republican primary

Libertarian Party primary

Libertarian primary for Cook County Sheriff

Endorsements

2022

General election

General election for Cook County Sheriff

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Cook County Sheriff

Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for Cook County Sheriff

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

Campaign website

Thank you for taking a moment to see what I represent and believe:

2022

Video for Ballotpedia

See also

External links

Footnotes

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