Charmaine McGuffey has defeated Jim Neil to earn another term as Hamilton County Sheriff. Both candidates have served in the role. Neil was first elected in 2012 and re-elected in 2016, but lost to McGuffey in the 2020 primary. She went on to win in November of that year.
With 100% of precincts reporting, unofficial results from the Hamilton County Board of Elections show McGuffey with 55.99% of the vote.
McGuffey says voters told her they want a safe community.
"Everybody wants a reduction in gun violence," she says. "They want us to focus on the juveniles and the youth that live in Hamilton County and work with those kids and help prevent them from shooting each other and other people. And, you know, quite honestly, I'm also going to work on mental health crises."
McGuffey says data and crime analysis was a big part of her campaign and "I want to share that data with the citizens of Hamilton County and be fully transparent."
Related: Meet Charmaine McGuffey, incumbent Hamilton County Sheriff
McGuffey says her job in the criminal justice arena includes law and order, integrity and transparency. "I work with everybody. I work with absolutely everybody in the system, and I'm here as the sheriff for everybody."
McGuffey is a Democrat and will be working with the first Democrat in 92 years to serve as Hamilton County Prosecutor, Connie Pillich.
"I know she wants to do good things for Hamilton County, so I'm going to partner in any way I can, and it is exactly what I would do with every prosecutor."
McGuffey says she's thankful for the support of voters and promises not to let them down.
