Jeff Connor, Republican candidate for Madison County Sheriff in IL
Name: Jeff C. Connor
Political party (if applicable): Republican
Age as of June 28, 2022: 59
Campaign website or social media page: Citizens for Jeff Connor on Facebook); www.jeffconnorforsheriff.com
Office seeking: Madison County Sheriff
Are you an incumbent? No
Previous offices sought: None
Occupation: Chief Deputy Sheriff of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office
Education: Master’s Degree criminal justice management
Please list highlights of your civic involvement: My civic involvement includes the following — FBI National Academy-2011; Deacon at Calvary Life Church, Granite City; 20-year member of SIPCA-Southern Illinois Police Association; 35-year member of the Illinois Police Association; 20-year member of the Madison County Police Association; 17-year member of the IHIA-International Homicide Investigators Association; former board member of CYHS-Coordinated Youth and Human Services; former member of the Granite City Rotary Club; commander of the recently formed Cross River Crime Task Force; and past instructor at the Belleville Police Academy, which is the same academy I graduated from and received the top award for academics and pistol shooting in 1986.
Who are your top three campaign contributors? Please refer to our filing at the Illinois State Board of Elections for all my contributors.
Why are you running? The citizens of Madison County deserve to have a strong leader that has a proven dedication to law enforcement and to our community. They deserve a sheriff who has the skill set to continue an open dialog to law enforcement agencies throughout Madison County and the entire St. Louis region. The state of Illinois has passed laws that directly affect all of our police agencies in unfunded mandates and requirements that will strap the everyday operations of our departments. The citizens and our men and women of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office need a leader who is prepared to tackle these obstacles with a passion and vision to make a difference.
What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it? My top issue is the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act, commonly known as the SAFE-T Act. I will do all I can to address this act with our legislatures and work to have them repeal this act. We will unite the Madison County police chiefs to have a loud voice in stating our serious concerns.
Why should people vote for you? Today, more than ever before we need a sheriff who is educated, experienced and dedicated to today’s policing issues. Our citizens don’t need someone running just to be a politician. They need and deserve someone who has proven what is important to them; the safety of our citizens and the safety of our men and women at the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. With my 36 years of being a police officer in Madison County and nearly eight years at the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, my 32 years in the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, and my master’s degree in criminal justice management, I have a proven record that I am the person who should and deserves to lead the men and women of the sheriff’s office into the future of Madison County policing.
This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 6:00 AM.