Endorsement: John D. Idleburg for Lake County sheriff
Incumbent Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg, a Zion Democrat who is running for his second term, says he wants to create a more diverse department that better reflects the communities it serves.
The 66-year-old says that since being elected, he has pushed to hire more officers, but there have been challenges with recruitment similar to what many other law enforcement agencies are facing.
Idleburg also touts his record of creating a Bridge Program to help inmates return to society and the Criminal Justice Community Council, which brings community members and stakeholders together to find ways to ensure better community representation.
His challenger, Republican Mark A. Vice II of Round Lake, a 16-year veteran of the sheriff's department, says morale among the rank and file has declined because employees have lost faith in Idleburg's leadership.
Vice leads the Fraternal Order of Police Deputy Union and Fraternal Lodge 66. The 38-year-old says he seeks to improve the relationship between communities and law enforcement and focus on recruiting and retaining deputies and correctional officers.
Both men disagree on the merits of the SAFE-T Act, which Idleburg supports and Vice opposes, citing some widely debunked claims.
Idleburg is endorsed.