Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego recently announced that he is running for re-election as sheriff. If elected, Samaniego will serve his second term.

“I think we’ve accomplished a lot in our first term, and we have a set of goals to enhance the quality of life in Shelby County,” Samaniego said.

According to Samaniego, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has seen a large amount of growth since Samaniego was first elected.

Samaniego said one of his most important accomplishments as Shelby County Sheriff was improving relations between the SCSO and the Shelby County Commission.

“The duties as sheriff are to administer to the courts, maintain the county jail and phase out crime. Each sheriff’s office is funded by the legisative body in its area. In our case, it’s the Shelby County Commission,” Samaniego said. “The county commission has been very forthcoming in funding the (Shelby County) Sheriff’s Office.”

Under his leadership, Samaniego said the SCSO became accredited with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies and opened its North Substation in the Greystone area.

Samaniego said he and other SCSO leaders worked to combat drug problems in Shelby County by establishing a partnership with Compact 2020 and by increasing the presence of the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force throughout the county.

Samaniego also said the Shelby County Jail became the only nationally accredited jail in the state through the National Institute for Jail Operations.

If elected, Samaniego said he plans to enhance the SCSO’s relationship with citizens through outreach programs. Samaniego said he has a formal education, 40 years of experience as a police officer, 25 years of experience in administrative positions and has completed the FBI National Academy and National Executive Institute.

Samaniego is running against Jefferson County Deputy Sheriff Ken Bailey, and said he is more qualified than his rival candidate because of his experience in law enforcement.

“If you compare the two of us, you’ll find that I have a wealth more experience,” Samaniego said.

Samaniego is running as a Republican. The primary Sheriff’s election will be held on June 5, and the general election will be held on Nov. 6. For more information about Samaniego’s campaign and platform, visit Johnsamaniego.com.

“We hope we can convince the citizens to give us an opportunity to let us complete a second term,” Samaniego said. “As an elected official, my role is being a servant to the citizens. My philosophy carries through to this agency.”