2026 General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Lake County Sheriff

Voted on across Lake County. Open seat: Oscar Martinez Jr. is not on the ballot.

Find your exact ballot All Lake 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].

Lake 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

$29,367,602

6.7% of the county's adopted 2026 budget · 39% more than 2019, before inflation

2019 $21,176,9592026 $29,367,602

The year-by-year figures

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

2019: $21,176,959
2020: $22,515,105
2021: $24,493,605
2022: $26,603,983
2023: $26,816,925
2024: $29,493,908
2025: $26,997,276
2026: $29,367,602

Budget lines counted: 0005 COUNTY SHERIFF

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

Budgeted separately, not included above: jail/detention center (depts 0380, 0381), $41.3 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: 1050.0
latest jail count: 894
count date: 2024 (Vera v3.1)
IDOC holds: 22
IDOC holds date: 2026-08-01
federal (USMS/ICE) housing: y
jail operating budget 2026: 36515997.0
sheriff dept actual 2025: 23037663.0
jail actual 2025: 23400355.0
staffing note: Correctional officers' union sought 6% raise; county offered none; overcrowding and 16-hour shifts cited (council, May 12, 2026)
dispatch/records systems: AI used for non-emergency 911 calls (per Delaware County 911 director, IPR Aug. 2026) [https://indianapublicradio.org/news/2026/08/delaware-county-911-to-use-ai-to-answer-non-emergency-calls/]

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

$71.71

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 1 of 6 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Jail occupancy · 2024 (Vera v3.1)

85.0%

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 5 of 5 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Average daily jail population · 2024

894

People held on an average day.

Position 2 of 11 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Share of people in jail awaiting trial · 2023

59.0%

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 8 of 11 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source · source

Reported crimes per 1,000 residents · 2025

17.6

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 3 of 11 counties with 150,000 or more residents that have this figure (1 = highest value)

source

About this race

Open seat: Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. is in his second consecutive term and is barred from running again ^{[21, 16]}.
May 5, 2026 Democratic primary (unofficial): Jerry Williams 10,137 (26.16%), Steven Flores 8,448, Edward Jenkins 6,916, Jason Gore 6,881, Maria Garcia Trajkovich 5,174, Jack "John Gregory" Sanchez 1,187 ^[22]. Several losing candidates conceded and pledged support for Williams ^[23].
David K Crane, Jr filed Jan. 9, 2026 and was the only Republican candidate for sheriff in the primary ^{[24, 25]}.
Jail staffing and conditions were a central primary issue; candidate Edward Jenkins said the jail is budgeted for 220 correctional officers but has about 150 ^[25].
If elected, Williams would be the first Black sheriff in Lake County history ^[26].
No general-election forums or debates between Williams and Crane were found in the sources reviewed.

Candidates on the ballot

David K Crane, Jr

Republican

Crane, of Cedar Lake, retired after 17 years with the Lake County Sheriff's Department ^[25]. He was the 2022 Republican nominee for sheriff, losing to Martinez with 43.50% ^[19], and was unopposed in the 2026 Republican primary ^[23].

Crane's background

Retired after 17 years with the Lake County Sheriff's Department; lives in Cedar Lake ^[25].
2022 Republican nominee for Lake County Sheriff; lost to Oscar Martinez Jr., 57,610 votes (43.50%) to 74,743 (56.44%) ^[19].

Crane's positions

Jail & corrections

Attributed the jail's problems to long-running single-party control of county government ^[25].

Crane on the current officeholder

Said the department lacks leadership ^[25].

How Crane got on the ballot

Filed Jan. 9, 2026 as a Republican candidate for Lake County Sheriff ^[24].
Unopposed in the May 5, 2026 Republican primary ^{[23, 26]}.

What we could not find about Crane

Coverage of Crane is very thin; no campaign website, social page or interview with policy plans was found.
Coverage of his 2022 campaign by The Times of Northwest Indiana could not be reviewed for this profile.
No statements found on staffing and pay, budget, drugs, school safety or immigration enforcement.
No specific plans for the office were found in the sources reviewed.
No endorsements or campaign finance figures were found in the sources reviewed.

Sources for Crane

Firestorms In County Jail Fuel Sheriff's Race (Chicago Crusader)

Jerry Williams

Democratic

Williams, a Gary native, is an Indiana State Police major with about 33 years of service who began his career as a Lake County Sheriff's corrections officer ^{[23, 21]}. He won a six-way Democratic primary ^[22].

Williams's background

Began as a corrections officer with the Lake County Sheriff's Office before joining the Indiana State Police ^[21].
ISP roles have included Lake County road trooper, gang task force investigator, fiscal division sergeant, internal investigations, and lieutenant of the seven-county Lowell District ^[21].
Helped lead a 15-month state effort starting in 2022 to reorganize the Gary Police Department and was Gary's interim police chief for the first half of 2023 ^[21].
Was ISP assistant chief of staff of logistics in 2024–2025 ^{[21, 16]}; in May 2026 the Chicago Crusader reported he commands the ISP Capitol Police Division ^[22].

Williams's positions

Jail & corrections

Plans to address jail conditions ^{[23, 22]}.
Said his experience in other jails and facilities qualifies him to lead and improve the jail ^[25].

Staffing & pay

Plans to address staffing by hiring more correctional officers ^[23].

Budget

Plans to address the department's financial challenges and strengthen financial oversight, citing his experience overseeing more than $400 million in assets at the State Police ^{[23, 22]}.

Transparency

Would adopt a day-one policy barring sheriff's employees from taking part in sheriff campaigns ^{[23, 22]}.

How Williams would run the office

Fix infrastructure at the county animal shelter ^[23].
Work with stakeholders countywide to build unity ^[23].

How Williams got on the ballot

Announced his candidacy in June 2024 ^[21].
Won the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary with 10,137 votes (26.16%) in a six-candidate field (unofficial) ^[22].

Williams's endorsements and funding

Endorsed by the Gary Crusader, per the Chicago Crusader ^[25].

What we could not find about Williams

No campaign website found.
Reported ISP tenure differs by date (31 years in 2024–2025 coverage, 33 years in 2026 coverage), consistent with time elapsed.
No statements found on immigration enforcement, drugs or school safety.
Local coverage of the primary (The Times of Northwest Indiana) could not be reviewed for this profile.
No direct statements by Williams about Sheriff Martinez's record were found. After the primary he said he wants to restore public confidence in the department ^[22].
No campaign finance figures were found in the sources reviewed.

Sources for Williams

Lake County Sheriff Democratic primary: ISP Major Williams claims victory, other candidates concede (Post-Tribune (via Yahoo News))

Key points

Open seat: Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. is in his second consecutive term and is barred from running again. (Post-Tribune (via Yahoo News))
May 12, 2026: the correctional officers' union sought a 6% raise, the county offered none, and overcrowding and 16-hour shifts were cited. The 2026 budget was seeded at 2025 levels; a 2% raise for non-contract staff failed 3-2 (Oct 14, 2025). (lakecountyin.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))
Lake County sheriff 2026 race grows to four candidates; Oscar Martinez Jr. can't seek another term (Post-Tribune (via Yahoo News))
2022 General Election – Election Summary Report (Lake County Board of Elections and Voter Registration)
Williams throws hat in the ring for Lake Sheriff's race (Post-Tribune (via Yahoo News))
Jerry Williams captures Democratic Lake County Sheriff nomination (Chicago Crusader)
Lake County Sheriff Democratic primary: ISP Major Williams claims victory, other candidates concede (Post-Tribune (via Yahoo News))
2026 Primary Republican Candidates (Ballot Order) (Lake County Board of Elections and Voter Registration)
Firestorms In County Jail Fuel Sheriff's Race (Chicago Crusader)
Williams Moves Closer to Historic Sheriff Win After Election Primary (Capital B Gary)

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.