MANSFIELD — Steve Sheldon is already the longest tenured sheriff in Richland County history.
And after winning a sixth term in office on Tuesday, the 69-year-old Sheldon didn’t rule out a run for a seventh.
The Ontario resident, who has worked in local law enforcement for more than 40 years, easily defeated two challengers in the Republican Party primary. With no Democrat on the ballot, Sheldon will likely by unchallenged in the November general election.
Sheldon received 57 percent of the votes cast on Tuesday, according to final, unofficial results from the Richland County Board of Elections. Sheldon had 8,241 votes to defeat two veteran law enforcement officers — Matthew Mayer (4,651, 32 percent) and Donald Zehner (1,566, 11 percent).
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“Winning tonight really means a lot to me because in Richland County, the (second) longest serving sheriff was only in for three terms,” Sheldon said during a gathering at DLX in downtown Mansfield.
“I credit that to a great staff in the sheriff’s department, great employees. But I’ve got the best staff I think that I’ve ever had right now, collectively.
“You get people in there doing the right things and steering the sheriff’s office the right way, I think it makes a big difference.”
Sheldon, first elected in 2004, 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. He was unopposed again in 2020.
“I never like to think that it’s about me. It’s about the sheriff’s office. It’s about what we can do for the citizens of the county and how we can make it better. I’ve never looked at it as about me,” he said.
The sheriff said he a ran a positive campaign that talked about the accomplishments of his department.
“I think with me, the most important thing was to be positive and not badmouth anybody. I tried to stay true to that. I don’t like mudslinging and I don’t like to see other candidates, mudsling,” Sheldon said.
“So try to run a good campaign, try to be positive, try to show what you’ve accomplished, what you’ve done. And over the last 20 years, we’ve accomplished a lot.”
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.
The sheriff said he won’t rule out seeking a seventh term four years from now.
“I might do another one. It all depends on my health. If your health is OK, you want to keep going. I would like to keep going if I could,” he said.