County

Sheriff, Lake 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

Jerry Williams

Democratic

Indiana State Police major, assistant chief of logistics

The gist

Pledges semi-annual audits of sheriff's finances and resources
Proposes community task force and review of officer training
Pledges close coordination with all law enforcement agencies

More about Jerry

View sources (1)

Pledges semi-annual audits of sheriff's finances and resources
ISP Major Jerry Williams enters race for Lake County Sheriff
News coverage · The Times of Northwest Indiana · Jan 20, 2026 · nwitimes.com
“provide semi-annual audits of all resource and financial documents used by the department and facilities”
Proposes community task force and review of officer training
ISP Major Jerry Williams enters race for Lake County Sheriff
News coverage · The Times of Northwest Indiana · Jan 20, 2026 · nwitimes.com
“he plans to launch a new community task force and reassess all tools and training for sheriff department officers”
Pledges close coordination with all law enforcement agencies
ISP Major Jerry Williams enters race for Lake County Sheriff
News coverage · The Times of Northwest Indiana · Jan 20, 2026 · nwitimes.com
“closely communicate with all levels of law enforcement to ensure public safety across the county”

David K Crane, Jr

Republican

Retired Lake County sheriff's officer; Army veteran

The gist

Pledges strategic plan to cut sheriff's office waste
Pledges to combat corruption in the sheriff's office
Supports partnerships with other law enforcement agencies
Supports accountability for jail commissary fund spending

More about David

View sources (2)

Pledges strategic plan to cut sheriff's office waste
My Platform
Campaign website · Committee to Elect Dave Crane for Lake County Sheriff · davecraneforsheriff.com
“a fiscally responsible comprehensive strategic business plan that eliminates unreasonable expenditures and waste”
Pledges to combat corruption in the sheriff's office
My Platform
Campaign website · Committee to Elect Dave Crane for Lake County Sheriff · davecraneforsheriff.com
“pledge to hold myself to the highest standard of ethical conduct, in an effort to combat corruption”
Supports partnerships with other law enforcement agencies
My Platform
Campaign website · Committee to Elect Dave Crane for Lake County Sheriff · davecraneforsheriff.com
“I will seek to foster partnerships in an effort to better serve and protect all Lake County communities.”
Supports accountability for jail commissary fund spending
Accountability and Responsible Use of Lake County Jail Commissary Funds
Campaign website · Committee to Elect Dave Crane for Lake County Sheriff · davecraneforsheriff.com
“Responsible stewardship of these resources is essential to maintaining public trust”

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.