With the Kentucky primary a little more than two weeks away, at least three candidates for governor are running television ads showing police or sheriffs’ deputies endorsing them. Jerry Wagner, who’s been executive director of the Kentucky Sheriffs’ Association for 17 years, says that’s nothing new. Under his leadership, the sheriffs’ association hasn’t endorsed candidates – but Wagner encourages sheriffs and deputies to be part of the process.
“Get involved with your people that can help you in your communities, get involved with people that can help you retrieve grant money and keep you in and knowing and are available on stuff that's that that could help your office.”
The state Fraternal Order of Police does make endorsements, but has not in this year's governor’s race. A spokesman for the FOP says individual officers appearing in campaign ads are doing so on their own. Wagner acknowledged an endorsement could cause problems.
“If you supported a candidate your candidate was not successful, then you could maybe suffer somewhere down the road. In some other way. If it was another candidate that won.”
Wagner said sheriffs and their staff have First Amendment rights, like all Americans, and that when he was the longtime Fleming County sheriff, he made a few endorsements of his own.
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