County

Sheriff, Henry County

Vote for: 1
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 2
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: The sheriff runs the county jail and provides police patrols, especially outside city and town limits.

Candidates Compare by issue

James (Jim) Nicholson

Republican

Captain, New Castle Police Department

The gist

Pledges to restore integrity and trust to the sheriff's office
Proposes visible patrols focused on areas targeted by criminals
Proposes contracting jail medical care with corrections specialists
Supports supervisor review and photos after any use of force

More about James

View sources (3)

Pledges to restore integrity and trust to the sheriff's office
Candidate: James E. “Jim” Nicholson
Candidate questionnaire · The Courier-Times · Apr 15, 2026 · thecouriertimes.com
“to restore integrity and trust to the Office of Sheriff”
Proposes visible patrols focused on areas targeted by criminals
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Henry County Sheriff
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“having very pro-active Deputies, who are being visible in the County and small towns”
Proposes contracting jail medical care with corrections specialists
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Henry County Sheriff
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Employ or contract with medical staff/service provider that specializes in corrections”
Supports supervisor review and photos after any use of force
Your candidates for county lawmakers, sheriff (League of Women Voters forum, April 9)
News coverage · The Courier-Times · Apr 13, 2026 · thecouriertimes.com
“in all cases of use of force a supervisor must be called and pictures must be taken as soon as possible”

David Bockover

Democratic

Special deputy court security officer, Henry County Sheriff's Office

The gist

Pledges to target drug traffickers and suppliers, not just users
Pledges jail officer training in de-escalation and medical emergencies
Pledges serious handling of every sexual abuse report
Proposes trimming sheriff's office spending, including vehicles

More about David

View sources (3)

Pledges to target drug traffickers and suppliers, not just users
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Henry County Sheriff
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Target drug traffickers and suppliers, not just low level users.”
Pledges jail officer training in de-escalation and medical emergencies
VOTE411 Voter Guide: Henry County Sheriff
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Correctional officers will be trained in de-escalation”
Pledges serious handling of every sexual abuse report
Candidate: David Bockover
Candidate questionnaire · The Courier-Times · Apr 15, 2026 · thecouriertimes.com
“Every report has to be taken seriously, every investigation handled with care and every victim treated with dignity and respect.”
Proposes trimming sheriff's office spending, including vehicles
Henry County Democrat Club hears from candidates
News coverage · The Courier-Times · Apr 3, 2026 · thecouriertimes.com
“We need to work within the budget. The money only goes so far. There is fat in every budget. Get rid of some cars.”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 3 issues covered in this race.