County

Sheriff, St. Joseph 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

Scott Ruszkowski

Democratic

Chief, South Bend Police Department

The gist

Pledges broader community partnerships against gun violence
Supports using federal HIDTA resources against drug trafficking
Supports competitive pay to recruit corrections officers
Supports safety training for legal gun owners

More about Scott

View sources (1)

Pledges broader community partnerships against gun violence
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Sheriff
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I intend to further strengthen the collaboration with all area agencies and incorporate even more non-law enforcement community resources into our anti-violence strategies”
Supports using federal HIDTA resources against drug trafficking
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Sheriff
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“The HIDTA brings additional resources, funding, and continuity into St. Joseph County”
Supports competitive pay to recruit corrections officers
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Sheriff
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“competitive compensation is essential, as is emphasizing the provided medical and dental insurance, retirement pension”
Supports safety training for legal gun owners
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Sheriff
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“we need to focus on legal, responsible, and safety-trained gun ownership and carry”

Rod Laureys

Republican

St. Joseph County police officer

The gist

Proposes expanding patrol coverage in rural and urban areas
Supports cooperating with ICE on egregious criminal violations
Proposes cutting excess jail supervisors for more floor officers
Pledges quarterly town halls across St. Joseph County

More about Rod

View sources (2)

Proposes expanding patrol coverage in rural and urban areas
Rod Laureys for Sheriff: Campaign Platform
Campaign website · Rod for Sheriff 26 · rodforsheriff26.com
“Launch a Fiscal Year 2027 initiative to expand patrol coverage in both rural and urban areas”
Supports cooperating with ICE on egregious criminal violations
VOTE411 Voter Guide: St. Joseph County Sheriff
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“If I am required to by federal agencies such as ICE I will cooperate with them, when it comes to egregious criminal violations.”
Proposes cutting excess jail supervisors for more floor officers
Rod Laureys for Sheriff: Campaign Platform
Campaign website · Rod for Sheriff 26 · rodforsheriff26.com
“Conduct a staffing review in 2027 to reduce excess supervisors and place more Correctional Officers back on the floor.”
Pledges quarterly town halls across St. Joseph County
Rod Laureys for Sheriff: Campaign Platform
Campaign website · Rod for Sheriff 26 · rodforsheriff26.com
“Host quarterly town halls across St. Joseph County to strengthen communication and accountability.”

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; 2 issues covered in this race.