← Back to Montgomery County, Tennessee: Election on 2026-08-06
Contest for Sheriff
general - Partisan - Sheriff
About this office
The sheriff is the county's chief law-enforcement officer. The office operates the county jail, provides court security, serves civil process and executes warrants, and provides patrol and investigation — a large operational command with a substantial budget.
Term length: 4 years.
This role calls for
- Organizational leadership of a sheriff's office spanning patrol, investigations, court services, and the county jail.
- Oversight of the county jail, including intake, inmate health, and release procedures.
- Working knowledge of Tennessee criminal law, court process, and constitutional search-and-seizure standards.
- Ability to develop and oversee the office's operating budget with public accountability.
- Coordination with municipal police departments and neighboring-county and state agencies.
- A documented law-enforcement or public-safety background.
Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.
Campaigns
Ransdell brings thirty-one years in law enforcement, most with the Clarksville Police Department in patrol and the Street Crimes, Special Operations, and Major Crimes units — narcotics, gang, and homicide investigations alongside federal task forces. Documented record includes a 1991 DUI that prompted a 2026 P.O.S.T. eligibility question before he was certified for the ballot, and a 2018 one-day unpaid leave for reporting to duty at a .029% BAC, alongside commendations. Bio does not indicate experience running a sheriff's office, its jail, or its budget.
Oliver brings thirty-two years in law enforcement, all with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office he seeks to lead — patrol deputy, drug agent, K-9 handler and division supervisor, drug task force member, and Special Victims Unit supervisor at the rank of sergeant, after starting with the Tennessee Department of Corrections. Documented record includes seven disciplinary actions, among them a 1993 ten-day suspension for failing an inmate check and falsifying records, alongside three commendations. Bio does not indicate top-command or budget experience.
Mines brings over thirty years spanning law enforcement, the military, and ministry — a veteran and pastor whose policing career includes the Chattanooga Police Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office ESU unit, and service as a school resource officer with the Greenbrier Police Department. Documented record includes a 2016 written warning for conduct unbecoming and a 2020 one-day P.O.S.T. suspension over remarks about a commission member, alongside a commendation for a DUI arrest. Bio does not indicate experience running a sheriff's office, its jail, or its budget.
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