How Sangamon County will pick its new sheriff

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) — Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell is resigning at the end of August, which means Sangamon County will need a new sheriff.

Campbell faced numerous calls to step down after one of his deputies, Sean Grayson, shot and killed Sonya Massey after she called 911 to her own home. Now, the same people who called for Campbell’s resignation are waiting to learn who will take over the department — and discuss the reforms they want to see.

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The process for filling a vacancy at the county level is laid out clearly in state law. The County board has 60 days to fill the vacancy from the time it opens. The Board Chairman Andy Van Meter will be responsible for nominating a candidate for the role. From there, a simple majority of the county board will need to approve that choice.

Van Meter can’t just appoint anyone to the role. State law also outlines the requirements for someone to qualify for the job. The person must be a U.S. Citizen, a citizen of the county in question for at least a year and they can not be a convicted felon. The SAFE-T Act added another box to that list.

Now, sheriff’s will also have to have passed the Minimum Standards Basic Law Enforcement Officers Training Course, which is administered by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board.

The law also lays out another wrinkle. The candidate must be a Republican. The County Sheriff is an elected position, and since Campbell is a Republican, the board must replace him with a Republican candidate. The board is already made up by a majority of republicans.

In the meantime, an interim will be named to the position, although it’s unclear who that replacement will be.

The Sangamon County Board will meet for the first time since the death of Massey on Tuesday.

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