2026 General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Jennings County Sheriff

Voted on across Jennings County. Open seat: William K. "Kenny" Freeman Jr. is not on the ballot.

Find your exact ballot All Jennings 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].

Jennings 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

$2,203,448

8.3% of the county's adopted 2026 budget · 115% more than 2019, before inflation

2019 $1,023,4692026 $2,203,448

The year-by-year figures

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

2019: $1,023,469
2020: $1,290,193
2021: $1,400,374
2022: $1,523,047
2023: $1,693,256
2024: $1,962,782
2025: $2,056,070
2026: $2,203,448

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

$113,836

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), $2.0 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: 124.0
latest jail count: 91
count date: 2024 (Vera v3.1)
IDOC holds: 0
IDOC holds date: 2026-08-01
federal (USMS/ICE) housing: not found
jail operating budget 2026: 2123526.0
sheriff dept actual 2025: 1201762.0

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 occupancy · 2024 (Vera v3.1)

73.0%

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

source · source

Average daily jail population · 2024

People held on an average day.

Position 24 of 34 counties with 25,000 to 50,000 residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Reported crimes per 1,000 residents · 2025

5.5

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

source

About this race

Open seat: Sheriff Kenny Freeman is completing his second consecutive term and is barred from seeking a third ^{[17, 19]}.
May 5, 2026 Republican primary (unofficial results reported on election night): Cody Low 2,297 votes, Tom Webster 1,319, Casey Shelton 259, Roddnie Liggett Sr. 230 ^[20].
May 5, 2026 Democratic primary: Gary M. Driver, the only Democratic candidate listed, received 573 votes ^[20].
The race pairs the office's current chief deputy (Low) with a former sheriff who held the office from 2015 to 2018 (Driver) ^{[19, 21]}.
No candidate forums or debates for the general election were found in the sources reviewed.

Candidates on the ballot

Gary M. Driver

Democratic

Driver is a former Jennings County sheriff (2015–2018) and longtime North Vernon Police Department officer, per his campaign website ^[21]. He was unopposed in the Democratic primary ^[20].

Driver's background

Campaign site lists 28 years of service, including 24 years with the North Vernon Police Department as a detective, sergeant and lieutenant, and four years as Jennings County sheriff (2015–2018) ^[21].
Campaign site also lists him as a local small business owner ^[21].

Driver's positions

Patrol & response

Proposes community liaison officers, regular town halls and a visible deputy presence across the county ^[21].
Pledges to improve response times in rural areas and expand neighborhood watch partnerships ^[21].
Supports "data-driven, intelligence-led strategies" aimed at crime hot spots ^[21].

Transparency

Proposes public reporting on department activities, open-door policies and quarterly community briefings ^[21].

Drugs

Proposes targeting drug trafficking while expanding partnerships with treatment providers and mental health professionals ^[21].

Staffing & pay

Proposes recruiting deputies from within the county, offering competitive compensation and investing in advanced training ^[21].

How Driver would run the office

Campaign site says a campaign platform PDF is "coming soon" ^[21].

How Driver got on the ballot

Unopposed in the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary, receiving 573 votes per unofficial results ^[20].
Ran for Jennings County Council District 2 as the Democratic nominee in 2022, losing to Republican Mandy Creech, 1,522 votes to 750 ^[18].

Driver's endorsements and funding

Campaign site's endorsements section says endorsements are "coming soon" ^[21].

What we could not find about Driver

Independent news coverage of Driver's 2026 campaign was not found; most information comes from his own website.
No statements on the jail, budget, school safety or immigration enforcement were found.
No statements by Driver about Sheriff Freeman's record were found in the sources reviewed. His campaign site's stated priorities for the office's direction are community-based policing, public reporting and accountability ^[21].
No campaign finance figures were found in the sources reviewed.

Driver's campaign website

Sources for Driver

Gary M. Driver for Sheriff (campaign website) (Committee to Elect Gary M. Driver, Sheriff)

Cody Low

Republican

Low is chief deputy of the Jennings County Sheriff's Office, where he has worked since 2013 ^[19]. He won a four-way Republican primary ^[20].

Low's background

Employed by the Jennings County Sheriff's Office since 2013; became a canine handler in 2019, was promoted to sergeant the same year, and was appointed chief deputy in March 2024 ^[19].
Described by the Madison Courier as born and raised in Jennings County, based on his announcement ^[19].
As chief deputy, detained a fleeing suspect while off duty in April 2026 after being contacted by dispatch, according to Local News Digital ^[22].

Low's positions

Transparency

Named transparency, accountability and service to every resident as priorities in his announcement ^[19].

Staffing & pay

Pointed to his work improving deputy training and introducing new technology at the office ^[19].

How Low would run the office

Said he would continue the focus on public safety, technology and deputy training he cited from his time at the office ^[19].

Low on the current officeholder

Low is the current chief deputy under Sheriff Freeman, who has publicly backed him ^{[19, 17]}. No statements by Low assessing the office's direction or the sheriff's record were found in the sources reviewed.

How Low got on the ballot

Announced in January 2025, on social media, that he would run as a Republican ^[19].
Won the May 5, 2026 Republican primary with 2,297 votes against Tom Webster (1,319), Casey Shelton (259) and Roddnie Liggett Sr. (230), per unofficial results ^[20].

Low's endorsements and funding

Sheriff Kenny Freeman said he would be proud to see Low succeed him ^[19].

What we could not find about Low

No campaign website found; GoodParty.org lists a Facebook page, "Cody Low for Jennings County Sheriff 2026," which was not reviewed.
No detailed policy statements on the jail, budget, drugs, school safety or immigration enforcement were found.
Local coverage of the primary in The Republic (Columbus) could not be reviewed for this profile.
No campaign finance figures were found in the sources reviewed.

Sources for Low

Chief deputy announces run for sheriff (Madison Courier)

Key points

Open seat: Sheriff Kenny Freeman is completing his second consecutive term and is barred from seeking a third. (Free Press Indiana / WFIU)
SBA tables show public safety LIT at 1.00% of the 2.50% total (2026 and 2027 est.). 2026 uses include fire department roof support up to $25,000 (Mar 2026); a new ambulance (May 2026) and a second jail transport vehicle (Jul 2026) also came before the council. (secure.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))
Jennings County Sheriff accused of stealing political yard signs and lying about it (Free Press Indiana / WFIU)
Historical Election Results: 2022 General Election (Indiana Election Division (indianavoters.in.gov))
Chief deputy announces run for sheriff (Madison Courier)
Primary results: Low wins sheriff race, Bright, King, Abel fall (Madison Courier)
Gary M. Driver for Sheriff (campaign website) (Committee to Elect Gary M. Driver, Sheriff)
Off-duty Chief Deputy Low, in right place at right time, captures fugitive (Local News Digital)

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.