Jefferson County Sheriff candidates Marc Heckathorn and Jason Pollock met for what's likely to be the only debate between the two at the Jefferson County Community Center on April 18. Questions ranged from matters of policy to the several controversies that arose over the course of the campaigns.
Jefferson County Commissioners interviewed both candidates to replace outgoing sheriff Jim Adkins in 2021 and chose Heckathorn, who assumed office in July 2021. Heckathorn's worked at the Sheriff's Office for 23 years in a several different positions, most recently as undersheriff.
Pollock's held both patrol and detective positions with the Sheriff's Office for the past 11 years and is the sitting president of the department's union.
A third candidate is on the books as well, Rick DuPont, though he has no intention of being sheriff. DuPont supports Heckathorn, who submitted DuPont's candidate forms and paid the $50 filing fee to get DuPont in the race. With three candidates in the race, only one needs to get above 50% of the vote to win the race.
Heckathorn said it's a deliberate campaign strategy to get the race over with as soon as possible so that the sheriff's office can return to normal without the potential change in direction that would occur under a different administration.
"This decision could cost me because I've had to defend myself and my reputation for going ahead and making this decision," Heckathorn told the Source Weekly. "I did it as a campaign strategy more than...
A front-page article with the byline of veteran New York Times opinion writer Nicholas Kristof is the latest poisonous example of what I call the NGO “halo effect.” Headlined “The Silence That Mee...