Republican Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski has defeated Democrat Jon Barber by a slim margin in Tuesday's election for Portage County Sheriff, according to unofficial Portage County Board of Election results.
All precincts have reported, with Zuchowski leading with 50.8% of the votes totaled, according to unofficial board results.
The victory comes just months after Zuchowski received national backlash for a post he made on his public Facebook account calling on residents to write down the addresses of people supporting Vice President Kamala Harris, so they can send immigrants, which he called "locusts," to their homes.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio and the Portage County Board of Elections both received complaints of voter intimidation related to the post, which he has since taken down. In a follow-up post, Zuchowski wrote that he has the right to freedom of speech. Concerns about intimidation, surveillance, the collection of personal information and threats regarding the electoral process led the U.S. Department of Justice to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Portage County during early voting and on Election Day.
Zuchowski has served as sheriff since 2020.
In 2020, Zuchowski handily won his first term with 56% of the vote, according to the Portage County Board of Elections. He became the first Republican to hold the office in more than a decade after Democratic former Sheriff David Doak did not run for reelection. Doak had served as sheriff since 2009.
Prior to serving as sheriff, Zuchowski served with the Ohio State Highway Patrol for 26 years, 14 as an assistant post commander, and two years as a part-time and special deputy in the Portage County Sheriff's Office, according to the sheriff's office's website. He is the president and chair of the Ohio State Troopers Association, according to the sheriff's office's website.
Zuchowski's campaign focused on national issues like Second Amendment rights and immigration, according to his campaign website.
Zuchowski has sparred with the Portage County Commissioners over his increased budget requests. The sheriff's budget has increased by 44% since 2020, before Zuchowski took office, to 2023. This year's request of an additional $4 million received pushback from the commissioners on the grounds of fiscal responsibility.
Zuchowski is also facing lawsuits from Kent, Ravenna and Streetsboro over money from the disbanded Portage County Drug Task Force and from two Black men falsely accused of drug possession and trafficking. He has also been accused of using labor from the Portage County Jail for his reelection campaign.
Barber, who grew up in Franklin Township, started his career as a deputy in the Portage County Sheriff's Office, according to his campaign website. He served as a deputy for 11 years before becoming the Portage County Dog Warden. He later served as the Director of Security Services for Portage County and the Director of the Portage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, before becoming the Stark County Dog Warden, according to his campaign website. He's served as a deputy in the Stark County Sheriff's Office since the Dog Warden Division merged with the sheriff's office and was promoted to sergeant in 2023, according to his campaign website. His campaign focused on bringing back integrity, professionalism and accountability to the sheriff's office, countering the backlash Zuchowski has received nationally in recent months.
