2026 General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Jay County Sheriff

Voted on across Jay County.

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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].

Jay 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

$2,275,638

8.8% of the county's adopted 2026 budget · 153% more than 2019, before inflation

2019 $898,1122026 $2,275,638

The year-by-year figures

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

2019: $898,112
2020: $977,458
2021: $1,015,330
2022: $1,070,276
2023: $1,207,679
2024: $1,293,292
2025: $1,356,181
2026: $2,275,638

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

$125,325

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), $2.1 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: 125.0
latest jail count: 83
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: 2082481.0
sheriff dept actual 2025: 1360562.0
jail actual 2025: 1830599.0
jail project: [Vera jail-construction file, unverified] 2010 Jail Expansion (Passed, $9.8M, beds 44->144)
dispatch/records systems: Spillman contract line in Statewide 911 fund (2026 budget); Motorola radio project ~$4.6M (council, Sept. 2025) [https://jaycounty.net/plugins/content/content.php?content.28]

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

$60.43

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 10 of 19 counties with under 25,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Jail occupancy · 2024 (Vera v3.1)

66.0%

Latest jail count as a share of rated capacity.

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 9 of 17 counties with under 25,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Average daily jail population · 2024

People held on an average day.

Position 4 of 30 counties with under 25,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Share of people in jail awaiting trial · 2023

76.0%

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 12 of 29 counties with under 25,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Reported crimes per 1,000 residents · 2024

1.1

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 12 of 12 counties with under 25,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source

About this race

Jay County (county seat: Portland) will elect a sheriff on Nov. 3, 2026. Incumbent Republican Ray Newton faces Democrat "Watermellon" Jim Phillips ^[6] in a rematch of 2022, when Newton won with 84% of the vote ^[18].
In the May 5 Republican primary, Newton defeated former two-term sheriff Dwane Ford (2015-2022), 1,602-1,244 ^{[17, 19, 16]}. This reversed their 2018 primary, which Ford won 1,626-1,171 ^[20]. During the primary, Newton said he inherited unpaid bills, unfinished projects and equipment problems when he returned in 2023. Ford pointed to his own record ^[16].
Phillips was unopposed in the Democratic primary ^{[16, 19]}.
Office issues in 2025-2026: (1) The county-wide emergency radio upgrade under the Motorola lease. (2) Whether to consolidate Portland's emergency dispatch with the county's. Portland City Council voted in December 2025 to explore it, and on April 2, 2026 the Portland Board of Works approved a feasibility-study contract with Ritter Strategic Services. (3) Sheriff's office wages ^[16].
No general-election forums or debates were found in sources reviewed.

Candidates on the ballot

Watermellon Jim

Democratic

Democrat "Watermellon" Jim Phillips, as The Commercial Review calls him, was unopposed in the Democratic primary. He was also the party's 2022 nominee against Newton ^{[16, 19, 18]}.

Jim's background

Local coverage identifies the candidate as "Watermellon" Jim Phillips ^[16]. No information on his occupation or experience was found in sources reviewed.

How Jim got on the ballot

Unopposed in the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary ^{[16, 19]}.
Was the Democratic nominee in 2022 and lost to Newton, who received 84% of the vote ^[18].

What we could not find about Jim

Coverage is very thin. No background, positions, website, social-media page, interviews, endorsements or fundraising information was found.
The ballot name lists no surname. The surname Phillips comes from The Commercial Review and the state's 2022 results data.
No statements by Phillips about Newton's record were found in sources reviewed.
No endorsements or campaign-finance reports were found in sources reviewed.

Sources for Jim

Republican sheriff candidates battling for nomination (The Commercial Review (Portland))

Larry (Ray) Newton Jr.

RepublicanIncumbent

Republican Ray Newton is the incumbent sheriff. He joined the sheriff's office in 1991, served as sheriff from 2007 to 2014, and returned to the office in 2023 ^[16].

Newton's background

Jay County High School graduate (1981). Served four years in the U.S. Navy. Worked about 20 years in plumbing construction, then four years in the Portland Police Department reserve program ^[16].
Joined the Jay County Sheriff's Office in 1991. Sheriff 2007-2014, retired in 2018, served two years on the Jay County Council, and returned as sheriff in 2023 ^[16].
Also works part-time, as needed, as a police officer at IU Health Jay ^[16].

Newton's positions

Jail & corrections

Plans to continue jail updates and to replace equipment throughout the security center as needed ^[16].
Points to the reentry and Moral Reconation Therapy programs started at the jail during his current term ^[16].

Patrol & response

On consolidating dispatch with Portland: 'Am I against it? No. But, like I've told the city council, I've told the board of works, does it make sense? Yes, but that's not for me to decide' ^[16].

How Newton would run the office

Finish the radio upgrade and continue equipment replacement ^[16].

Newton on the current officeholder

Is the current officeholder. No statements by Newton about his Democratic opponent were found in sources reviewed. His published criticisms were aimed at his primary opponent, the former sheriff ^[16].

How Newton got on the ballot

Filed on Jan. 7, 2026, the first day of filing ^{[21, 6]}.
Won the May 5, 2026 Republican primary over Dwane Ford, 1,602-1,244 (56.3%) ^{[17, 19]}.

What we could not find about Newton

No campaign website found.
No statements found on school resource officers, immigration-detainer agreements or drug enforcement in the 2026 race.
No endorsements or fundraising reports found.
His filing-day statements on staff pay, training and policy goals could not be confirmed from freely available sources.
His remarks at the February 2026 Republican meet-the-candidates night could not be confirmed from freely available sources.
No endorsements or campaign-finance reports were found in sources reviewed.

Sources for Newton

Republican sheriff candidates battling for nomination (The Commercial Review (Portland))

Key points

Office issues in 2025-2026: (1) The county-wide emergency radio upgrade under the Motorola lease. (2) Whether to consolidate Portland's emergency dispatch with the county's. (The Commercial Review (Portland))
Projects list a proposed public safety building and about $5M in GO bonds. Baker Tilly was hired for a $35,000 comprehensive financial study (Aug 2026) and presented a fiscal sustainability plan and financing options Sept 17, 2026. (jaycounty.net)

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))
Republican sheriff candidates battling for nomination (The Commercial Review (Portland))
Newton wins rematch over Ford; Loy gets commissioner nod (The Commercial Review (Portland))
2022 General Election Results (Indiana Election Division)
2026 Primary Election Results (certified) (Indiana Election Division)
2018 Primary Election Results (Indiana Election Division)
Early election filing sets up rematch for county sheriff (The Commercial Review (Portland))

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.