2026 General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Harrison County Sheriff

Voted on across Harrison County. Open seat: Nick Smith is not on the ballot.

Find your exact ballot All Harrison 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].

Harrison 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

$5,750,139

12.2% of the county's adopted 2026 budget · 255% more than 2019, before inflation

2019 $1,620,9292026 $5,750,139

The year-by-year figures

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

2019: $1,620,929
2020: $1,684,876
2021: $1,763,751
2022: $1,909,072
2023: $2,111,931
2024: $2,360,993
2025: $2,561,699
2026: $5,750,139

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

$128,460

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), $4.1 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: 173.0
latest jail count: 132
count date: 2024 (Vera v3.1)
IDOC holds: 6
IDOC holds date: 2026-08-01
federal (USMS/ICE) housing: not found
jail operating budget 2026: 4138108.0
sheriff dept actual 2025: 270.0
jail project: [Vera jail-construction file, unverified] 2012 Jail Expansion (Passed, beds 127->150); 2020 Jail Expansion (Passed, beds 175->213)

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.

Average daily jail population · 2024

132

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 15 of 34 counties with 25,000 to 50,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Share of people in jail awaiting trial · 2019

79.0%

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 9 of 32 counties with 25,000 to 50,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Reported crimes per 1,000 residents · 2025

4.3

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 18 of 28 counties with 25,000 to 50,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source

About this race

Harrison County (county seat: Corydon) will elect a sheriff on Nov. 3, 2026. This is an open seat: Sheriff Nick Smith, elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, is not on the ballot ^{[16, 17, 6]}.
Brad R. Rothrock was the only sheriff candidate on the county's primary candidate list. He filed as a Republican on Jan. 7, 2026, and no Democrat appears on that list for sheriff ^[20]. Rothrock was unopposed in the May 5 Republican primary and received 2,997 votes in the county's unofficial cumulative results report, run May 15, 2026 ^[21].
Democrat Jim Slucher is on the general-election list but was not on the primary candidate list ^{[6, 20]}. Sources reviewed do not say how he was placed on the ballot.
The Corydon Democrat sent both candidates the same questionnaire in August 2026 ^[22]. Rothrock's top priorities are training, equipment and staff retention, along with dismantling local drug networks. He would build on what he calls the department's 'strong foundation' ^[18]. Slucher's top priorities are drug enforcement, a 'strong presence' in schools, youth drug-awareness programs and acting on citizens' input ^[23].
Main differences in background: Rothrock has worked at the sheriff's department since 2012 and is now its chief deputy ^[18]. Slucher is self-employed in auto repair. He cites his life, management and public-facing work experience, and lists no law-enforcement experience in the questionnaire ^[23].
No candidate forums or debates were found in sources reviewed.

Candidates on the ballot

Brad R. Rothrock

Republican

Republican Brad R. Rothrock is chief deputy of the Harrison County Sheriff's Department and has worked there since 2012 ^[18]. He was unopposed in the May 2026 primary ^[21].

Rothrock's background

Employment: chief deputy at the Harrison County Sheriff's Department ^[18].
He has worked at the department since July 2012. He has served as a deputy on all three shifts, as a narcotics detective and with a narcotics K-9, and as chief deputy under Sheriff Nick Smith. He also spent nine years on the regional SWAT team ^[18].
Education: associate degree in criminal justice. Political experience: none listed. Age 35 at the time of the questionnaire ^[18].

Rothrock's positions

Staffing & pay

Says his top priority is giving residents 'personnel who are well-trained, professional and forward-thinking.' He plans to improve training and equipment and to 'recruit, train and retain the best officers' ^[18].

Drugs

Wants to continue 'dismantling local drug networks.' He describes the local drug problem as 'a key driver in other criminal activity' ^[18].

Transparency

Says he will work to build a relationship between the department and the community 'that stands on trust and transparency' ^[18].

How Rothrock would run the office

Improve training and equipment, and give deputies the resources they need ^[18].
Keep focusing on local drug networks, and work with the community so the county remains 'a safe place to live, work and play' ^[18].

Rothrock on the current officeholder

Rothrock is chief deputy under Sheriff Nick Smith. He says the department 'has a strong foundation that I intend to continue building from' and describes its deputies as 'a strong group' ^[18].

How Rothrock got on the ballot

Filed as a Republican for Harrison County Sheriff on Jan. 7, 2026 ^[20].
Unopposed in the May 5, 2026 Republican primary, with 2,997 votes in the county's unofficial cumulative results ^[21].

What we could not find about Rothrock

No campaign website was found. A third-party listing points to a campaign Facebook page (rothrock4sheriff), which was not reviewed.
No positions found on the jail, budget requests to the county council, school resource officers or immigration-detainer agreements.
No endorsements, fundraising reports or forum appearances found.
Coverage is limited to one newspaper questionnaire and county election records.
No endorsements or campaign-finance reports were found in sources reviewed.

Sources for Rothrock

Rothrock, Slucher vie for HC Sheriff (Brad Rothrock questionnaire) (The Corydon Democrat (madisoncourier.com))

Jim Slucher

Democratic

Democrat Jim Slucher is self-employed in auto repair. He says this is his third run for Harrison County sheriff and lists drug enforcement and school safety as his priorities ^[23].

Slucher's background

Employment: self-employed, auto repair facility ^[23].
Education: North Harrison High School, Prosser School of Technology, plus other certificates and licensing courses he did not specify ^[23].
For qualifications, he cites 60 years of life experience, learning trades from a young age, managing people, workloads and inventory, and working with the public. He lists no law-enforcement experience in the questionnaire ^[23].
Political experience: says this is his 'third time running for Harrison County Sheriff' and describes himself as a member of the Democratic Party and 'a strong union supporter' ^[23].

Slucher's positions

Drugs

Lists drug enforcement as his No. 1 priority. He names fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine, as well as illegal prescription-drug use and sales, and links drug activity to theft ^[23].
Would 'institute as many drug awareness programs as possible' for young people ^[23].

School safety

Says he will 'make a strong presence known in our school system to ensure the safety of our children at all times' ^[23].

Transparency

Says he would 'implement actions that will actually come from the ideas and concerns of the citizens' and run the office with 'the citizens' input' ^[23].

How Slucher would run the office

Focus on drug trafficking and illegal prescription-drug sales ^[23].
Increase the department's presence in schools and expand youth drug-awareness programs ^[23].
Base office actions on citizens' concerns ^[23].

Slucher on the current officeholder

Slucher says he would bring 'a new perspective' to the office. He says he will 'take this office back to protect and serve with good police work and have the citizens' input' ^[23].
On drug enforcement, he says the department will 'diligently continue with these pursuits as the previous sheriffs have' ^[23].

How Slucher got on the ballot

On the general-election ballot as the Democratic candidate ^[6]. He was not on the county's primary candidate list, which had no Democratic sheriff candidate ^[20].

What we could not find about Slucher

Sources reviewed do not say how he was placed on the general-election ballot (for example, by a Democratic Party vacancy filling after the primary).
He says this is his third run for sheriff. He was not the Democratic nominee in 2018 (Brad Shepherd was) or in 2022 (no Democrat filed), so his earlier runs could not be identified or dated.
No campaign website or social-media page was found.
No positions found on the jail, staffing and pay, the budget or immigration-detainer agreements.
No endorsements, fundraising reports or forum appearances found.
Coverage is limited to one newspaper questionnaire.
No endorsements or campaign-finance reports were found in sources reviewed.

Sources for Slucher

Rothrock, Slucher vie for HC Sheriff (Jim Slucher questionnaire) (The Corydon Democrat (madisoncourier.com))

Key points

Harrison County (county seat: Corydon) will elect a sheriff on Nov. 3, 2026. This is an open seat: Sheriff Nick Smith, elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, is not on the ballot. (Harrison County, Indiana)
Sheriff requested six officers (~$850,000); two were approved for 2027 (Sept 22, 2026). EMS: the 2025 county EMS levy was $854,243, with an actual shortfall of $197,206 versus $630,000 anticipated (Apr 13, 2026). (in.gov)

Sources

Researched Sunday, October 11, 2026

2026 Indiana Candidate Guide (County Offices: County Sheriff) (Indiana Election Division)
Indiana Code 36-2-13-5: Duties of sheriff (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
2026 ISA President Statement (Jeffrey A. Balon, Porter County Sheriff) (Indiana Sheriffs' Association)
Indiana Code 36-2-13-2: Sheriff residency and term (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
Indiana Code 36-2-13-2.8: Sheriff's salary (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
2026 General Election Candidate List (Indiana Election Division)
Indiana Department of Correction readies to pay $12 million in jail back payments (Indiana Capital Chronicle (via Inside INdiana Business))
Indiana Code 36-8-10-3: Sheriff's merit board (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
Braun signs bill into law requiring jails to tell ICE about potential immigration violations (Network Indiana (via WMNC 95.3))
Illegally in Indiana: New state law aims at cracking down on illegal immigration (WNDU)
Indiana Code 36-2-2-24: County courthouse, jail and offices (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
Indiana Code 33-39-1-5: Duties of prosecuting attorneys (FindLaw (Indiana Code, current as of 2026-01-01))
Amendment to deny bail to some offenders moves closer to November ballot (WFYI (via Indiana Public Media))
2018 General Election Cumulative Results (Harrison County, Indiana)
Cumulative Results Report, 2022 General Election (Harrison County, Indiana)
Rothrock, Slucher vie for HC Sheriff (Brad Rothrock questionnaire) (The Corydon Democrat (madisoncourier.com))
Candidate List - Abbreviated, 2026 Primary Election (Harrison County, Indiana)
Cumulative Results Report, 2026 Primary Election (unofficial) (Harrison County, Indiana)
Rothrock, Slucher vie for HC Sheriff (The Corydon Democrat (madisoncourier.com))
Rothrock, Slucher vie for HC Sheriff (Jim Slucher questionnaire) (The Corydon Democrat (madisoncourier.com))

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.