Can Sheriffs Endorse Candidates While in Uniform? This One Thinks He Can
“I think it’s time we put a felon in the White House,” Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said, with a smirk to the camera.
![Red background with a phone in the center displaying Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco on Instagram Live in his sheriff uniform and sitting in his car. Surrounding the phone are elements relating to Bianco and sherrifs, including a print that reads "IT'S TIME WE PUT A FELON IN THE WHITE HOUSE," an image of Trump saluting, a GUILTY stamp, an ULTRA MAGA button, a sheriff's badge and a MAGA hat.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Cali-Sheriff-Backs-Trump-WEB.png)
Jessica Pishko is an independent journalist and lawyer who, for the last decade, has focused on the criminal justice system and how law enforcement intersects with political power. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Politico, the Nation and more. She is writing a book about the political power of sheriffs to be published by Dutton. Prior to writing, Pishko practiced law where she specialized in securities fraud and did pro bono work defending death penalty clients and victims of domestic abuse. Pishko graduated with a J.D. from Harvard Law School and received an M.F.A. from Columbia University. As a contributor to Democracy Docket, Pishko writes about the criminalization of elections and how sheriffs in particular have become a growing threat to democracy.
“I think it’s time we put a felon in the White House,” Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said, with a smirk to the camera.
Even though Arizona Democrats — and two Republican legislators — succeeded in overturning the 1864 law, there is still cause for concern.
Maricopa County is an unfortunate example of how sheriff elections do not necessarily represent the will of the people.
The GOP is determined to undermine democracy. This election in Louisiana shows how.
Restoring the public’s trust in law enforcement requires that organizations like the nation’s largest sheriffs’ association promote, not hamper, democracy.
Maybe the sheriff’s office should be relegated to history books. There, it could remain a relic and the rest of society can move on.
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Now, failing to prove voter fraud, constitutional sheriffs argue an alternative — and equally false — theory.
When the gun lobby loses to democratic will, sheriffs take up the mantle by making a disreputable and debunked legalistic argument.
By enacting bills aimed at local prosecutors, these states are stripping communities of their right to self-determination.
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