Ballot Project

← Back to Shelby County, Tennessee: Election on 2026-08-06

Contest for Sheriff

County
general - Partisan - Sheriff

About this office

The Shelby County Sheriff is the chief law-enforcement officer of the county, with duties set out in Tennessee Code Annotated §§ 8-8-201 and 8-8-213. The Sheriff's Office serves court process, operates the county jail, responds to calls for service, investigates crimes, and patrols unincorporated areas of the county. The Sheriff supervises deputies and corrections officers. Under T.C.A. § 8-24-102, the Sheriff's salary must be at least 10% higher than the salaries of other county constitutional officers. Shelby County is the largest sheriff's jurisdiction in Tennessee.

Term length: 4 years.

This role calls for

  • Organizational leadership of a roughly 1,500-person agency including sworn deputies and corrections staff.
  • Oversight of a 2,500-plus inmate jail complex, including health services, intake, and release.
  • Working knowledge of Tennessee criminal law, court process, and constitutional search-and-seizure standards.
  • Ability to develop and oversee a multimillion-dollar operating budget with public accountability.
  • Community-relations capacity across Shelby County's diverse populations.
  • 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

Anthony J. Buckner

Anthony J. Buckner

Democrat
👍 👎 🤡 😡 🤷
Anthony J. Buckner's biography shows twenty-five years of law enforcement service, including leadership as Chief Deputy overseeing 1,500 employees and a 2,500-plus inmate facility. His background includes command roles in Internal Affairs, training, and public information, alongside degrees in criminal justice and FBI National Academy graduation. No controversies or disciplinary records appear in the provided text. Bio does not indicate experience with independent budget development or direct community-relations initiatives outside the agency.
Brad Less

Brad Less

Republican
👍 👎 🤡 😡 🤷
Brad Less's biography shows over 28 years with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office as a division commander and more than a decade as a Coast Guard Special Agent, demonstrating relevant organizational leadership and law-enforcement experience. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate specific experience managing a multimillion-dollar operating budget or direct oversight of health services within a large jail complex.
Know something about this race we don't? Submit a contribution →