Jerry Sheridan

Jerry Sheridan (Republican Party) is the Maricopa County Sheriff in Arizona. He assumed office on January 1, 2025. His current term ends on January 1, 2029.

Sheridan (Republican Party) ran for election for Maricopa County Sheriff in Arizona. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Sheridan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Jerry Sheridan was born in New York, New York. He earned a high school diploma from Holy Cross High School, an associate degree from Scottsdale Community College in 1986, a bachelor's degree from Grand Canyon University in 2000, and a graduate degree from Wayland Baptist University in 2003. His career experience includes working in law enforcement and as an adjunct professor. As of 2024, Sheridan was affiliated with the FBI National Academy Associates.^[1]

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Maricopa County Sheriff

Jerry Sheridan defeated Tyler Kamp in the general election for Maricopa County Sheriff on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jerry Sheridan (R)	53.4	1,021,800
	Submit photo	Tyler Kamp (D)	46.5	890,648
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	2,701

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,915,149
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Maricopa County Sheriff

Tyler Kamp defeated incumbent Russ Skinner in the Democratic primary for Maricopa County Sheriff on July 30, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Tyler Kamp	56.1	147,211
	Submit photo	Russ Skinner	43.4	113,878
		Other/Write-in votes	0.5	1,430

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 262,519
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Maricopa County Sheriff

Jerry Sheridan defeated Frank Milstead and Mike Crawford in the Republican primary for Maricopa County Sheriff on July 30, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Jerry Sheridan	51.5	197,458
	Frank Milstead	27.4	105,270
	Mike Crawford	20.7	79,274
	Other/Write-in votes	0.4	1,508

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 383,510
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Sheridan in this election.

2020

General election

General election for Maricopa County Sheriff

Incumbent Paul Penzone defeated Jerry Sheridan in the general election for Maricopa County Sheriff on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Paul Penzone (D)	55.7	1,095,955
	Jerry Sheridan (R)	44.2	869,748
	Other/Write-in votes	0.2	3,355

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,969,058
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Maricopa County Sheriff

Incumbent Paul Penzone advanced from the Democratic primary for Maricopa County Sheriff on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Paul Penzone	100.0	375,970

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 375,970
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

William Hall (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Maricopa County Sheriff

Jerry Sheridan defeated Joe Arpaio, Mike Crawford, and Lehland Burton in the Republican primary for Maricopa County Sheriff on August 4, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Jerry Sheridan	37.4	156,818
	Joe Arpaio	36.0	150,656
	Mike Crawford	26.3	110,271
	Lehland Burton (Write-in)	0.3	1,136

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 418,881
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Jerry Sheridan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sheridan's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a 40 year veteran deputy sheriff of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO). Joining the MCSO as a volunteer deputy sheriff at 18 years old and 40 years later retiring as the Chief Deputy (the highest rank possible). I was successful getting promoted because I was the person who loved his job not matter whether I was walking a cell block in jail or patrolling the back alleys at two in the morning. My supervisors saw that I could be trusted to do a good job keeping the people safe, was accountable and responsible.

These traits are important elements for your next sheriff. With them comes competency. Competency from leading deputies for 33 years as a supervisor. 20 years of that in an executive leadership position. Again I loved to go to work in the morning no matter what assignment.

I have been with my wife Stacie for 36 years, she is my best friend. My 93 year old dad lives with us on five acres in a rural desert area. We have two grown daughters and two grandchildren. We enjoy our love of animals and have two horses and three dogs. I am an avid photographer who shoots film with a large format camera and have garnered National recognition and won local juried art shows.

I am passionate about my love for MCSO, the people that work there and the jobs they all do to keep you safe while you are out in public, at your work, in your church or in your home. That is the job of your Sheriff. If I do my job right I will add value to all our lives.

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?

I am a person of honor. To me honor means that I will always do the right thing no matter the personal or political consequences..
Supporting and upholding the U.S. Constitution and the Constitution and Laws of the State of Arizona is part of my oath that will be taken seriously. The elected Sheriff is accountable directly to the people and no one else. This is why Key Message One is so important.
Keeping people safe is a critical duty of your sheriff. A sheriff does this by maintaining a safe and secure jail for the local police departments he serves to bring their prisoners and by providing excellent law enforcement services for the public.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Protecting the freedoms and liberties of the citizens of Maricopa County.

Enforcing the Rule of Law.
Keeping people safe.

Ensuring people that all members of MCSO treat everyone with dignity and respect.

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

I have honored and used my dad as a roll model. He was a Korean era US Marine, a New York State Trooper and a New York City police officer. His wisdom, honor, integrity and dedication to service have guided me through my life. I still seek his counsel to this day.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Leadership Lessons of Ulysses S. Grant. This is not only a book that influenced my leadership philosophy but it is one of unselfish service to a Nation.

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

Honor is doing the right thing no matter the consequences personally and politically. Integrity is the action of honor. Without these traits an elected official does not garner the trust of the citizens he serves. There is a severe lack of trust in elected politicians primarily because they lack honor and integrity.

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

Service to the people he/she serves. As an elected official people have put their faith in us to fulfill the role to which we are elected. In the case of the elected sheriff complete dedication to the service of the sheriff’s duties and responsibilities in a manner that builds confidence with the citizens in his/her county. A confidence that people can trust all sheriff’s employees, detention, deputy and civilian will always act with integrity, honor, compassion and respect.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to be remembered as the sheriff who restored the faith and trust of all people who live in Maricopa County.

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

I was 18 and in New York Harbor celebrating the BiCentennial in 1976 watching the tall ships sail into the harbor.

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

My first real job other than having a paper route was a busboy at IHOP for about six months until I became a waiter in another restaurant.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

This book was an inspiration to me because the main character Louis Zamperini forgave the people that beat and tortured him daily while he was a POW in prison. Forgiveness is important if a person is to grow and become successful.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

The Arizona Police Association (APA)

Tom Homan (former Trump ICE Official)
Congresswoman D. Lesko
Sheriff R. Mack
State Senator Kavanagh

State Representative Chaplik

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

The operating budget for MCSO in 2024 is $526 million. 75% of which is dedicated to the jail function. It is the people’s money. Every government employee from the newest hire to the president must be accountable on how they spend the people’s money. As sheriff I will ensure complete access to our budget.

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.

2020

Jerry Sheridan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sheridan's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Jerry was born and raised in Queens, NY., the son of a NYPD lieutenant. He moved to Arizona at 18 years old and within months he joined the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) as a reserve deputy sheriff in 1977. In 1978 he became a detention officer for a short time and was hired as a deputy sheriff. He retired 38 years later as the Chief Deputy, the highest ranking position in the Sheriff's Office. Jerry is an experienced leader with 35 years as a ranking officer; 20 years in an executive chief position. He holds a Masters Degree in Organizational Management, was a Certified Jail Manager, appointed by three governors to the AZPOST Board for 12 years and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. He also taught Criminal Justice Studies for 22 years in the Maricopa County College system to include leadership and ethics.

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?

Jerry wants his staff of approximately 3,400 to look forward to coming to work everyday so they can provide the citizens of Maricopa County the best services possible both on the street and in the jails.
It is the responsibility of the Maricopa County Sheriff to ensure people feel safe in their homes, at work, in stores and while on the road.
Jerry is running for this office for the right reason; to continue his commitment to public service and bringing MCSO back to its core responsibilities.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Jerry is passionate about being the best Sheriff he can possibly be and serving as a leader and mentor to all employees of MCSO. He has spent over 35 years in leadership positions mentoring and guiding people to become the best law enforcement professionals possible. He wants to make sure the public feels safe in their homes, at work and on the roads. This can only be accomplished with a team effort of deputy sheriffs in public, detention officers in the jails and civilian staff behind the scenes. He is also aware as the duly elected sheriff and the chief law enforcement officer in the county he has a responsibility to bring all the municipal police departments together in the effort to keep people safe, he has plans to do just that.

More specifically Jerry has a great concern for the welfare of animals and will have an aggressive Animal Crimes Unit to investigate cruelty to animal cases. He will reintroduce his Drug Interdiction Unit that was developed to fight drug smugglers in southern Maricopa County with an emphasis on dismantling and disrupting drug cartels bringing in narcotics and other dangerous drugs. Before retirement he began working on developing a resource center in eastern Maricopa County for women and children who were sexually abused he plans on making this a top priority also.

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

My father has been my hero all all my life. He still is. While I was growing up he was a New York City police officer retiring as a lieutenant in 1976, the year the family moved to Arizona. He served as a role model teaching me about commitment to duty, sacrifice for others, compassion for crime victims, honesty, integrity and taking personal responsibility. All things I would need in my tool kit when I became a deputy sheriff years later.

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

As an elected official the Sheriff of Maricopa County reports directly to the people. Just as the United States Constitution begins with "We the People" the sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer of and for the people. This is a clear distinction of a municipal police chief who reports to a city manager or mayor. It is therefore the role of the sheriff to bring together all law enforcement agencies to achieve a common goal of keeping their citizens safe in their homes, cars and at work.

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

I have 40 years experience in the agency I am seeking the Office of Sheriff. I have held every position from volunteer to detention officer to deputy sheriff. As a deputy sheriff I was promoted initially to the rank of corporal working in various other ranks up the chain of command and ultimately retired as the chief deputy; the highest ranking position in the Sheriff's Office. This comprised approximately 35 years of leadership experience a must to successfully lead the Sheriff's Office. No candidate for the position of Maricopa County has had the training, experience and intimate knowledge to lead the Office as Jerry Sheridan does; ever.

What is your favorite book? Why?

My favorite book is "Unbroken" written by Laura Hillenbrand. It is a biography about a World War II hero Louis Zamoerini a former Olympic star who survived a plane crash in the Pacific Ocean, spent 47 days in a tiny life raft only to be captured by the Japanese. He then spent 2 1/2 years as a POW and was brutally tortured by a sadistic guard. He endured and survived but was a broken man until he found his faith in God. Ultimately he forgave his captors and went on to a successful career.

Upon promotion to the chief deputy in 2010 I inherited a difficult situation that many believed was impossible to correct. I worked closely with many to bring order back to MCSO and a close relationship with Maricopa County Government. It was one of the members of the Board of Supervisors who gave me the book "Unbroken." He saw how difficult things were for me and thought I needed some inspiration. He was right and it did. Great book about courage, perseverance and faith.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

The sheriff of a county is an elected office granted its authority by the Arizona Constitution. As such the sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer of the county. This position should be approached with great humility and responsibility bringing together all of the other 17 municipal law enforcement agencies, in Maricopa County, to work together for a common goal of keeping their citizens safe, fighting crime and drug trafficking.

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

It is of utmost importance that the Sheriff of Maricopa County have the prerequisite training and experience to lead the 4th largest Sheriff's Office in the United States with a county population of 4.5 million people and a land mass of 9,226 square miles. The jail system comprises 75% of the Sheriff's Office and its leader must have intimate knowledge of this large and complex system inorder to be effective.

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

Since the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is so large with approximately 3,400 employees, serving 4.5 million citizens, covering 9,226 square miles, with the 4th largest county jail system in the Nation, and an operating budget of approximately $350 million it is of the utmost importance the Sheriff has the training and even more importantly the experience of managing the major functions of the Sheriff's Office. An intimate working knowledge of the complexities, the Constitutional responsibilities, the mandated functions and the citizens it serves is necessary for a person to successfully lead the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office to its full potential.

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 June 28, 2024

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 28, 2024

[1]

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Jerry Sheridan

Contents

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Maricopa County Sheriff

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Maricopa County Sheriff

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Maricopa County Sheriff

Endorsements

2020

General election

General election for Maricopa County Sheriff

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Maricopa County Sheriff

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Maricopa County Sheriff

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

2020

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

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