MANSFIELD — Steve Sheldon — and two veteran law enforcement officers who used to work for him — are campaigning to be the next Richland County sheriff.
Sheldon, Matt Mayer and Don Zehner are competing in the March 19 Richland County Republican primary for a four-year term in office.
There is no Democrat in the race. That means the primary winner will earn the seat in November, barring independent and write-in candidates.
Each of Ohio’s 88 counties have a sheriff, the only elected law enforcement officers in the state. The duties of a sheriff are spelled out in the Ohio Revised Code in Section 311.07.
The three men know each other well with overlapping careers in the RCSO.
— Sheldon is seeking his sixth term in office, having first won the seat in 2004.
— Mayer started at the RCSO in 1988 and retired as a sergeant in 2013 with 25 years in the department.
— Zehner joined the sheriff’s office in 1993, rising to the rank of captain before leaving the department in 2023 following a 30-year career.
Here is a look at each of the three candidates.
Matt Mayer
The 63-year-old Mansfield resident has run against Sheldon before. Mayer sought the office as a Democrat in 2016, losing to Sheldon in the November general election when the incumbent received 54.82 percent of the vote.
A graduate of The Ohio State University and the Ohio State Patrol Academy, Mayer said he has also obtained “thousands of hours of law enforcement training and education over the past 36 years.”
A 1979 Madison High School graduate, Mayer received the 2020 Ohio Distinguished Law Enforcement Lifetime Achievement Award from Attorney General Dave Yost, one of nine law enforcement officers honored that year.
During his tenure at the RCSO, Mayer worked in the crime lab, as a dispatcher, corrections officer, patrolman, detective and detective in charge of major crimes.
Mayer currently works with the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District as a Northern Ohio Region Ranger Supervisor under the chief of the district.
“I want to bring positive change in the administration of the sheriff’s office,” Mayer said when asked why he chose to run again. “I want to share my knowledge and expertise in preventing crime and pursuing those who commit crimes, holding them accountable for their wrongdoings.”
If elected, Mayer said he has several goals.
He would focus on criminal patrol and increase covert operations in the major crimes section while also blending community policing polices into patrol and investigations.
Mayer said he would also work to “retain and maintain” experience in the ranks of the county jail corrections officers. He said he would assess and study lawsuits filed after deaths of inmates and create policies and procedures to prevent future deaths and civil actions.
Mayer said he would contract with “reliable jail medical companies” to assist in the prevention of injuries and deaths in the jail.
“Justice can partially be served if a new, caring sheriff is elected who will address these sad and expensive matters,” he said.
Mayer said he would focus on drug investigations by supplying more detectives to the METRICH Task Force.
“It seems the current sheriff only considers more detectives when he is being challenged (for election),” he said.
The challenger said he would also manage the RCSO with equality.
“I will treat others with respect and dignity and go on their (job) performance and knowledge, not certain protective characteristics,” Mayer said, claiming some employees have been “bullied and harassed” by the current administration.
He vowed to be a “hands-on, working sheriff.”
“You will see me in the patrol bureau, major crimes and in the jail, working side by side with employees,” Mayer said. “I will also be visible as an active community police officer. I love working with the public and employees.
“I want to teach and share my knowledge, experience and training to others.”
He said he would to improve the morale of RCSO employees, “so they can better serve the public, instead of being focused on grievances, lawsuits or working in a hostile work environment.”
“I will not tolerate crime, abuse, harassment, negligence, recklessness or misconduct. I will encourage respect, honesty and hard work,” Mayer said.
Steve Sheldon
The 69-year-old Ontario resident has worked in local law enforcement for more than 40 years, first elected in 2004 when he defeated Democrat Richard Greer by receiving 62.51 percent of the vote.
Sheldon was unopposed for re-election in 2008 and 2012 before fending off a primary challenge from Jerry Botdorf and then Mayer in the 2016 general election.
The local graduate was unopposed again in 2020.
Sheldon is a product of then-North Central Technical College with a degree in criminal justice, planning to work in law enforcement. He graduated from the police academy the following year and later earned a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from Grand Canyon College.
Sheldon worked at the Crestline Police Department from 1978 to 1980 before joining the RCSO. He spent three years in the sheriff’s department, rising to the rank of sergeant and working as a K-9 officer.
Sheldon moved over to the Mansfield Police Department in 1983, rising through the ranks to sergeant, lieutenant and eventually captain.
Sheldon retired from the MPD in 2004 when then-Sheriff James Stierhoff decided not to seek another term.
“The only reason I retired was to run for sheriff,” Sheldon said in 2016.
He said he has “overseen many changes and improvements over the last 20 years” as sheriff, including a new county jail in 2008; a new 9-1-1 dispatch center in 2022; an ongoing effort to upgrade public safety technology; and an improved MARCS radio communication system, including a 330-foot communications tower in Lucas in 2022.
“I want to continue the momentum and progress we have made by capitalizing on the partnerships we have established,” said Sheldon, who said he has worked on behalf of the local GOP for more than 20 years.
If re-elected, Sheldon said he will:
— continue to pursue funding for enhanced medical care for county jail inmates. “I have already expressed this need to (county commissioners) and my staff is currently soliciting bids for such services.”
— continue to address “the drug pandemic” in Richland County. “I have already reinstated the K-9 unit with two narcotic detection K-9s. I plan to add an additional detective to the METRICH unit. We are members of the Opiate Response Team. I will continue to work with the re-entry court and the drug court.”
— continue to expand the county’s “state-of-the-art” 9-1-1 center. “I plan to implement ‘next generation’ 9-1-1. I will coordinate with our local public safety partners to ensure seamless transition to enhance call handling efficiency while improving call routing and emergency resource dispatching within Richland County.”
“I have implemented projects/programs such as Project Starfish, (participation in the) Northern Ohio Fugitive Task Force, Project Lifesaver, Flock camera systems, K-9 units, dive team, drone team, deputies working for the Child Support Enforcement Agency, school resource officers and an environmental deputy.
Sheldon said he has worked to “build relationships” around the county that have played essential roles in his department’s success, including county commissioners, auditor’s office, courts and others involved in the justice system.
“I encourage collaboration with local law enforcement agencies and I am a member of the Richland County Association of Chiefs of Police,” he said.
Don Zehner
The 55-year-old Lucas resident, who earned a degree in fish and wildlife management from Hocking Technical College before earning an Ohio peace officer commission, is making his first run for public office.
According to a story published in the Mansfield News Journal on Nov. 30, Zehner was “unlawfully fired” from the RCSO on Oct. 27 for “no disciplinary reason,” according to his attorney, who added Zehner is entitled to return to the rank he previously held as lieutenant, based on a union agreement
The newspaper reported Dec. 29 there has been no response to the demand from the sheriff’s office.
In responding to questions from Richland Source, Zehner didn’t mention the controversy, saying he is a “retired sheriff’s deputy and farmer.”
Instead, Zehner focused his responses on his experience as a law enforcement officer and his goals, if elected.
One of those goals is improved community policing.
“Too often, law enforcement is reactionary in responding to requests for assistance and complaints. While that serves a need, a further need is to get more into the causes of behavior of the individuals and why they are acting out or causing complaints in the first place,” he said.
He said a more proactive approach will reduce repeated trips to a residence and will also reduce the chance for increased violent incidents.
“While the current administration has done some great stuff with technology and getting the vehicle fleet back to a comfortable level, programs within the agency have become stagnant and training in new methods of reacting to and reaching the community needs has not kept up with current trends in law enforcement,” Zehner said.
The veteran law enforcement officer said he would have an office at the county jail next to the county courthouse on Park Avenue East, while also maintaining an office at the People’s Community Center on Park Avenue East.
“The majority of the sheriff’s office employees work at the jail, which would give them better accessibility to the sheriff,” he said. ‘
Zehner said inmates would also benefit from the sheriff being able to see who they are and that necessary medical and intake services are being met.
The challenger said he would also create a behavioral response team, working with other law enforcement, mental health and social service agencies, as well as the courts.
“The BRT members will respond to calls for services related to mental health illness, PTSD and substance abuse issues,” he said, identifying those in the community continually accessing law enforcement services.
Zehner said he would add an explosive detection dog to the RCSO K-9 teams and make it available to all local law enforcement agencies.
“By sniffing out gunpowder, they would have the capability to not only find ammunition, but also detect ammunition that might be loaded in a firearm in efforts to thwart the gun violence all communities are seeing,” he said.
Zehner said the explosive detection team could be used to “sweep” containers, lockers, vehicles and on people, including government facilities and public entertainment venues.
“The team will enhance evidence recovery by assisting on crime scenes involving firearms and the locating of firearms and spent ammunition casings used during the commission of crimes,” he said.
Zehner said he is the only candidate who has served in all levels of the RCSO, from corrections officer to jail supervisor and rising through all ranks to captain.
“The current sheriff served briefly as a deputy before leaving for another agency and returning as sheriff. My other opponent served as a deputy and a detective and has no experience in administration or supervision,” he said.
Zehner said his service to the RCSO over three decades “is without question.”
“I have received only high marks on my personnel evaluations and used only a minimum of sick time and very little vacation,” he said, adding he is a long-time Republican.
“I have always planned to run for sheriff. I care immensely for the citizens of our community. I was going to wait for the current sheriff to not run anymore, but the circumstances of my employment propelled me to run now,” Zehner said.