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2026 General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Delaware County Sheriff

Voted on across Delaware County. Open seat: Tony Skinner is not on the ballot.

Find your exact ballotAll Delaware County races

What this office does

The sheriff is an elected county officer created by the Indiana Constitution who arrests offenders, keeps the peace, serves court papers, keeps order in county courts and runs the county jail [1, 2]. The Indiana Sheriffs' Association describes sheriffs as constitutional officers elected by the people, whose work includes operating jails, serving civil process, providing court security and coordinating emergency response [3]. Every county elects its sheriff in 2026 for a four-year term, and no one may serve as sheriff more than eight years in any twelve-year period [1].

The job in full — the duties the Indiana Code puts in it, the term, what it pays and who sets that, and what to ask a candidate.

Term
4 years; the sheriff serves until a successor is elected and qualified [4, 1]
Elected
Countywide by the county's voters on the partisan general election ballot; all county sheriffs are elected in 2026 [1]
Term limit
No more than eight years in any period of twelve years (Indiana Constitution, Article 6, Section 2) [1]
Qualifications
Must have lived in the county for at least one year before the election, be registered to vote in the county by the filing deadline, and file a statement of economic interests; a sheriff who moves out of the county forfeits the office [1, 4]
Pay
A county may pay the sheriff a salary from the county general fund of at least 50% to 100% of the state minimum salary of a full-time prosecuting attorney, depending on county population [5]
On the 2026 ballot
92 races; 26 contested [6]
What the law puts in this job (13)
  • Arrests without a warrant people who commit an offense in the sheriff's view, brings them before a county court, and holds them while the arrest is investigated [2].
  • Suppresses breaches of the peace and pursues and jails felons [2].
  • Takes care of the county jail and the prisoners held there [2, 3].
  • Serves and carries out legal papers (process) directed to the sheriff by courts and the county commissioners [2].
  • Attends and keeps order in all courts of the county, which the Sheriffs' Association describes as providing court security [2, 3].
  • Takes photographs, fingerprints and other identification data from people held for crimes, and DNA samples for felonies [2].
  • Reports twice a year to the Indiana Department of Correction the average daily cost of holding a jail prisoner [2].
  • Holds state prisoners, including people convicted of Level 6 felonies, in the county jail, for which the state reimburses counties at a daily rate set in the state budget [7].
  • Coordinates emergency response and works with local police, prosecutors and community partners [3].
  • In a county whose council creates a sheriff's merit board by ordinance, appoints three of its five members, while the county police officers elect the other two; no more than two sheriff appointees and one elected member may belong to the same party [8].
  • Must report information to federal authorities when a person arrested for a felony or misdemeanor is believed to lack legal immigration status, and, since July 2026, notify the judge setting bail when holding a person subject to an immigration detainer [9, 10].
  • May supervise and inspect businesses such as pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers [2].
  • What the sheriff does not control: the county commissioners must establish and maintain the county jail building [11]; the county makes the appropriation for feeding prisoners and sets the sheriff's salary [5]; the prosecuting attorney decides which crimes to prosecute [12]; and judges decide bail [13].

Delaware County's numbers for this office

Legal Insights county office research (Oct. 13, 2026): Indiana Gateway budgets 2019-2026 and the indicator sources linked on each line.

This office's 2026 budget

$5,599,011

8.7% of the county's adopted 2026 budget · 76% more than 2019, before inflation

2019: $3,187,8832020: $3,558,3462021: $3,452,6362022: $3,612,3682023: $4,467,5672024: $4,397,7042025: $4,933,3932026: $5,599,011
2019 $3,187,8832026 $5,599,011
The year-by-year figures

Adopted budget, all funds, 2019-2026 (not adjusted for inflation)

  • 2019: $3,187,883
  • 2020: $3,558,346
  • 2021: $3,452,636
  • 2022: $3,612,368
  • 2023: $4,467,567
  • 2024: $4,397,704
  • 2025: $4,933,393
  • 2026: $5,599,011

Budget lines counted: 0005 COUNTY SHERIFF

Adopted 2026 county budget (Form 1 line items, Form 4B) and earlier years' budgets

Elected official's pay, 2026 budget line

$165,161

From the county budget; verify against the county's 2026 salary ordinance. A line can include longevity pay or a second role.

Budgeted separately, not included above: jail/detention center (depts 0380, 0381), $7.8 million.

  • Counties budget the jail differently: some put jail costs in the sheriff's department, others in a separate jail department. Compare the sheriff and jail together across counties.

Also on the record for this office

  • rated capacity: 221.0
  • latest jail count: 415
  • count date: 2024 (Vera v3.1)
  • IDOC holds: 21
  • IDOC holds date: 2026-08-01
  • federal (USMS/ICE) housing: y
  • jail operating budget 2026: 7840058.0
  • sheriff dept actual 2025: 4625543.0
  • jail actual 2025: 5074088.0
  • jail project: [Vera jail-construction file, unverified] 2018 New Jail (Passed, $45.0M, beds 230->500)
  • dispatch/records systems: 911 center: $85,000/yr AI system to answer non-emergency calls, paid from statewide 911 fund; commissioners approved pending legal review (IPR, Aug.…)

Measured, for this county

A position compares this county with counties of similar size. It is not a grade: for most measures a higher or lower number is neither good nor bad on its own.

Jail cost per inmate-day · 2025 spend / 2024 ADP

$33.50

2025 jail spending divided by the 2024 average daily population times 365.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: partial: the sheriff runs the jail and staffs it; the council funds it; state jail standards set minimum staffing; courts and prosecutors drive how many people are held

Position 9 of 9 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Average daily jail population · 2024

415

People held on an average day.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: partial: jail population depends on arrests, charging, bail and sentencing decisions by police, prosecutors and judges; the sheriff manages housing and transfers

Position 2 of 17 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Share of people in jail awaiting trial · 2023

82.0%

People held before trial as a share of the jail population.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: low to partial for the sheriff: pretrial detention is decided by courts (bail) and prosecutors (charging); the county funds pretrial services

Position 4 of 16 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Reported crimes per 1,000 residents · 2025

14.3

Offenses reported by police agencies county-wide (agencies with full-year reporting), not only the sheriff's office.

How much this is the officeholder's to decide: low to partial: the sheriff patrols mainly unincorporated areas; city and town police cover most residents in larger counties

Position 5 of 16 counties with 50,000 to 150,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source

About this race

  • This is an open seat: Sheriff Tony Skinner is term-limited and is running for county council [16].
  • The Delaware County Election Board removed Republican James McCall from the May 5 primary ballot on Feb. 24, 2026; County Clerk Rick Spanger said McCall had not voted in two prior Republican primaries in Indiana, as required to run in a GOP primary. That left Chief Deputy Jeff Stanley as the Republican nominee, while Deputy Dave Williams was unopposed for the Democratic nomination [17].
  • Both nominees work in the current sheriff's office: Stanley as chief deputy and Williams as a deputy [17, 6].
  • Recurring issues for the office include jail staffing and overtime costs at the jail that opened in 2021 [21, 20].
  • No 2026 general-election candidate forum or debate for this race was found in available coverage.

Candidates on the ballot

Jeff Stanley

Republican

Jeff Stanley is chief deputy of the Delaware County Sheriff's Department, with more than 30 years in county law enforcement; he became the Republican nominee after his only primary opponent was removed from the ballot [17, 23].

Stanley's background

  • Chief deputy of the Delaware County Sheriff's Department under Sheriff Skinner [16, 17].
  • His campaign says he has served Delaware County for more than 30 years in patrol, criminal investigations, SWAT, the bomb squad, search and recovery, and executive leadership as chief deputy [23].

Stanley's positions

Patrol & response

  • Supports 'proactive policing that targets violent criminals, repeat offenders' and says deputies need training, equipment and support; pledges to enforce the law 'without political influence' [23].

Jail & corrections

  • Supports jail programs in education, job readiness, substance-abuse recovery, peer support and vocational training to reduce repeat offenses, saying rehabilitation 'should never replace accountability' [23].

Budget

  • Says the office has generated 'millions of dollars in revenue' by housing federal inmates and through other programs; pledges to pursue grants, invest in technology for deputy efficiency and evaluate every expenditure [23].

School safety

  • Says the sheriff's office should be present in schools and at community events, and pledges to expand community outreach [23].

How Stanley would run the office

  • Campaign lists four priorities: law and order, community partnerships, rehabilitation to reduce crime, and fiscal responsibility and innovation [23].

Stanley on the current officeholder

  • Is the chief deputy in the current administration; his campaign site cites the office's financial results 'over the past several years' and says he will 'continue' its approach [23].

How Stanley got on the ballot

  • Announced his candidacy by December 2025 [16]. Became the Republican nominee after the county election board removed James McCall from the May 5, 2026 primary ballot [17].

What we could not find about Stanley

  • How long he has served as chief deputy and his education were not confirmed from a primary source.
  • Federal inmate-housing revenue figures are the campaign's claim; no county audit or budget document confirming the amount was reviewed.
  • No news coverage of his specific plans for jail staffing or pay was found.
  • No endorsements were listed on his campaign site, and no campaign-finance totals were found [23].

Stanley's campaign website

Sources for Stanley

David Williams

Democratic

David (Dave) Williams is a Delaware County sheriff's deputy and sergeant with nearly 30 years in county law enforcement, including 18 years working in schools; he was unopposed for the Democratic nomination [17, 22].

Williams's background

  • Deputy with the Delaware County Sheriff's Department [17].
  • Has nearly 30 years of law-enforcement experience in Delaware County and holds the rank of sergeant; he said he worked in the schools for 18 years [22].

Williams's positions

Transparency

  • Said it is 'very important' that people know their local sheriff personally, and that he wants residents to see county police agencies as 'here to help you guys' [22].

How Williams got on the ballot

  • Unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the May 5, 2026 primary [17, 6].

What we could not find about Williams

  • No campaign website or published platform found; coverage limited to one student-media profile (March 2026).
  • Not the same candidate as David Williams, the Republican nominee for Delaware County Council District 1 on the same ballot [6].
  • No information found on his positions on jail operations, staffing, budget, drugs or immigration enforcement.
  • No detailed platform was found in available coverage.
  • No public statements about Sheriff Skinner's record were found.
  • No endorsements or campaign-finance totals were found in available coverage.

Sources for Williams

Key points

Sources

Researched Sunday, October 11, 2026

  1. 2026 Indiana Candidate Guide (County Offices: County Sheriff) (Indiana Election Division)
  2. Indiana Code 36-2-13-5: Duties of sheriff (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  3. 2026 ISA President Statement (Jeffrey A. Balon, Porter County Sheriff) (Indiana Sheriffs' Association)
  4. Indiana Code 36-2-13-2: Sheriff residency and term (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  5. Indiana Code 36-2-13-2.8: Sheriff's salary (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  6. 2026 General Election Candidate List (Indiana Election Division)
  7. Indiana Department of Correction readies to pay $12 million in jail back payments (Indiana Capital Chronicle (via Inside INdiana Business))
  8. Indiana Code 36-8-10-3: Sheriff's merit board (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  9. Braun signs bill into law requiring jails to tell ICE about potential immigration violations (Network Indiana (via WMNC 95.3))
  10. Illegally in Indiana: New state law aims at cracking down on illegal immigration (WNDU)
  11. Indiana Code 36-2-2-24: County courthouse, jail and offices (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  12. Indiana Code 33-39-1-5: Duties of prosecuting attorneys (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
  13. Amendment to deny bail to some offenders moves closer to November ballot (WFYI (via Indiana Public Media))
  14. Sheriff Skinner announces campaign for Delaware County Council seat (The Star Press (via Yahoo News))
  15. Republican campaigning for Delaware County sheriff removed from primary ballot (The Star Press (via Yahoo News))
  16. Delaware County Sheriff's Office, inmates move into new facility (FOX59)
  17. Delaware County jail again short on corrections officers (Indiana Public Radio)
  18. A Local Sergeant Runs for a Leadership Position (NewsLink Indiana / Ball State Daily)
  19. Jeff Stanley for Delaware County Sheriff (Jeff Stanley campaign)
What's included
the U.S. House, statewide offices, every Indiana House and Senate district on the ballot, Indiana's statewide public questions and judicial retention questions, and county, township, city, town and school board races from the Indiana Election Division's candidate list.
Everything else
Local races (county, city, school board, judges) and anything else on your ballot are on your official sample ballot: IndianaVoters.in.gov.
Candidate lists
As of Sunday, October 18, 2026.
At the polls
Indiana law lets you bring a list of candidates and public questions into the polling place, including one stored on your phone, as long as you don't electioneer. IC 3-11-8-18.5

This is not an official ballot. Confirm your registration, polling place and ballot with your election office through vote.gov.