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2026 General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Vigo County Sheriff

Voted on across Vigo County.

Find your exact ballotAll Vigo 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].

Vigo 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

$8,959,085

9.0% of the county's adopted 2026 budget · 70% more than 2019, before inflation

2019: $5,270,7152020: $5,340,0982021: $5,830,0442022: $6,106,0502023: $6,163,9052024: $7,898,6672025: $8,364,2802026: $8,959,085
2019 $5,270,7152026 $8,959,085
The year-by-year figures

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

  • 2019: $5,270,715
  • 2020: $5,340,098
  • 2021: $5,830,044
  • 2022: $6,106,050
  • 2023: $6,163,905
  • 2024: $7,898,667
  • 2025: $8,364,280
  • 2026: $8,959,085

Budget lines counted: 0005 COUNTY SHERIFF; fund 9515 Sheriff Sale Administration

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), $9.7 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.
  • Includes $30,935 in funds named for the office (for example a commissary or perpetuation fund) that are not coded to its department.

Also on the record for this office

  • rated capacity: 268.0
  • latest jail count: 364
  • count date: 2024 (Vera v3.1)
  • IDOC holds: 19
  • IDOC holds date: 2026-08-01
  • federal (USMS/ICE) housing: not found
  • jail operating budget 2026: 11730657.0
  • sheriff dept actual 2025: 8328633.0
  • jail actual 2025: 8286955.0
  • jail project: [Vera jail-construction file, unverified] 2019 New Jail (Passed, $62.0M, beds 268->495)

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

$62.37

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

source · source

Average daily jail population · 2024

364

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 3 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

95.0%

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 1 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

26.7

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

source

About this race

  • Vigo County (Terre Haute) has had an appointed sheriff since August 2024, when Derek Fell was chosen by Democratic caucus after Sheriff John Plasse died; Fell is seeking election in his own right [17, 18].
  • Democratic primary (May 5, 2026, unofficial): Fell 3,978 votes (48.98%), David C. Ewing 2,279 (28.06%), Larry Cheeks, Jr. 1,864 (22.95%) [20].
  • Republican primary (May 5, 2026, unofficial): Steve (Top Guns) Ellis 4,537 votes (57.39%), Brad Newman 3,369 (42.61%) [20].
  • During the primary, other candidates raised issues including jail overcrowding and re-entry programs (Ewing), and the jail's maintenance costs, court security and road coverage (Newman) [21, 22].
  • A primary candidate forum for sheriff candidates was scheduled for March 11, 2026, at the Vigo County Public Library [23]. No general-election forum or debate between Fell and Ellis was found in available coverage.
  • Key difference in available coverage: Fell emphasizes continuity and expanded patrol staffing built inside the office; Ellis, a sitting county councilman, emphasizes lowering county spending [19, 24].

Candidates on the ballot

Steve (Top Guns) Ellis

Republican

Steve Ellis is a Vigo County councilman and the owner of the Top Guns store in Terre Haute, with nearly 17 years as a special deputy for the county [24, 18].

Ellis's background

  • Owner/CEO of the Top Guns store in Terre Haute [24, 18].
  • Member of the Vigo County Council; serves as its 2026 president, with a council term running through Dec. 31, 2028 [24, 18, 25].
  • Nearly 17 years in law enforcement, including service as a special deputy for Vigo County; has also worked at the county jail and as an emergency medical dispatcher [24].

Ellis's positions

Budget

  • Said he would look for ways to lower county taxes while making sure the department can keep the county safe: 'To represent the taxpayer as best as possible, we have to lower spending' [24].
  • Says his business experience and council service give him insight into how the county spends money [24].

How Ellis would run the office

  • Reduce county spending while maintaining public safety [24].

How Ellis got on the ballot

  • Announced in summer 2025 that he would run on the Republican ballot [26, 18].
  • Won the May 5, 2026 Republican primary over Terre Haute Police Sgt. Brad Newman, 57.39% to 42.61%, in unofficial results [20].

Ellis's endorsements and funding

  • Said he would not accept campaign donations [26].

What we could not find about Ellis

  • No campaign website, questionnaire or forum statements were found; positions on jail operations, staffing, drugs, school safety and immigration enforcement were not found.
  • His votes on sheriff's office budget items as a county councilman were not reviewed.
  • No statements by Ellis about Sheriff Fell's record were found in available coverage.

Sources for Ellis

Derek Fell

DemocraticIncumbent

Derek Fell has been Vigo County sheriff since August 2024 after more than two decades with the sheriff's office, most recently as chief of operations [16].

Fell's background

  • Sheriff of Vigo County since August 2024; previously the office's chief of operations [16].
  • Had worked with the sheriff's office for 23 years as of his May 2025 campaign announcement [16].

Fell's positions

Staffing & pay

  • Has pointed to the increase in patrol staffing to 29 deputies, which he called the 'most in known history,' as a way to raise minimum staffing and improve officer safety [19].

Patrol & response

  • Said added deputies are meant to provide more visible presence and reduce some response times [19].

Jail & corrections

  • Listed jail programs among his campaign priorities [16].

How Fell would run the office

  • Continue community engagement, public safety and jail programs, per his May 2025 announcement [16].

Fell on the current officeholder

  • Is the current officeholder. When announcing his campaign he described success as 'a team effort'; no statements about Ellis were found [16].

How Fell got on the ballot

  • Won the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary with 48.98% of the vote in a three-way race [20].

What we could not find about Fell

  • No campaign website or detailed platform was found; coverage of his specific plans for the jail, budget and drug enforcement is limited.
  • The Tribune-Star's April 2026 primary questionnaire could not be reviewed for this profile.
  • No general-election forum statements found.
  • No endorsements or campaign-finance totals were found in available coverage.

Sources for Fell

Key points

  • During the primary, other candidates raised issues including jail overcrowding and re-entry programs (Ewing), and the jail's maintenance costs, court security and road coverage (Newman). (WTWO (via Yahoo News))
  • Additional Appropriation 2025-53 (Nov 2025) funded design work from the LIT correctional fund. The jail held about 364 people in 2024; the 2026 correctional LIT distribution was $5,679,895. (vigocounty.in.gov)

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 Derek Fell announces candidacy (WTWO (via Yahoo News))
  15. Caucus elects Derek Fell Vigo Co. Sheriff (MyWabashValley.com (WTWO/WAWV))
  16. Brad Newman says he'll run for Vigo County sheriff (Tribune-Star (via Yahoo News))
  17. Vigo County sheriff announces some changes for 2025 (Tribune-Star (via Yahoo News))
  18. Election Summary Report, May 5, 2026 Primary Election (unofficial summary canvass) (Vigo County, Indiana)
  19. David C. Ewing to run for Vigo Co. Sheriff (WTWO (via Yahoo News))
  20. Brad Newman runs for Vigo County Sheriff (MyWabashValley.com (WTWO/WAWV))
  21. Candidate forums scheduled for March (Tribune-Star)
  22. Steve Ellis talks about running for Vigo County Sheriff (MyWabashValley.com (WTWO/WAWV))
  23. County Council Meeting packet and agenda, October 13, 2026 (Vigo County Council)
  24. Steve Ellis announces candidacy for Vigo County Sheriff (MyWabashValley.com (WTWO/WAWV))
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.