4 candidates on primary ballot for Clark County Sheriff share their priorities - WLKY

4 candidates on primary ballot for Clark County Sheriff share their priorities Advertisement Updated: 2:26 PM EDT Apr 8, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Edward Smith Multimedia Journalist 4 candidates on primary ballot for Clark County Sheriff share their priorities Updated: 2:26 PM EDT Apr 8, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Edward Smith Multimedia Journalist CLARKSVILLE, Ind. — With early voting underway, one of the most hotly contested races in southern Indiana is for Clark County Sheriff. There are currently four candidates on the primary election ballot for the Clark County Sheriff's race: two Democrats and two Republicans vying for the nomination. Advertisement Democratic Candidates Ed Byers retired following work as a United States federal agent for 31 years. He says his priority is fighting political corruption following the recent conviction of former sheriff Jamey Noel for stealing millions in taxpayer dollars. “You can't keep doing the same thing and expect a different result,” Byers said. “There's still corruption going on, both involved with public corruption and in private corruption. People that overcharge for services, people that bill for services they don't render. There's a lot of that going on. So, we need a public trust unit.” Tim Deeringer served as a police officer with Jeffersonville Police for nearly 30 years. He also was chief of the department. He says he wants to come out of retirement to bring internal change to the department. “Clark County needs to change,” Deeringer said. “You just have to lead by example. You have to put your team together. You got to let them know that you're there for them, build that trust.” Deeringer says he also wants to have an open audit of the department's finances, bring more attention to people dealing with mental illness, and improve the department's relationship with others. Republican candidates On the Republican side, former Jeffersonville Police Chief Kenny Kavanaugh faces off against incumbent Scottie Maples. Kavanaugh has been with Jeffersonville police for 32 years. He stepped down as police chief in August of 2025. He is currently a Captain and Commander in Patrol. He started at the sheriff's department in 1993 and would like to return to reorganize. “Our county needs forward-thinking progress,” Kavanaugh said. “Reorganization of the agency and those three pillars, professionalism, leadership, integrity. We're going to work off that, as a foundation, as a plan.” Current Clark County Sheriff Scottie Maples first began his career as a corrections officer. After serving his first term he says progress has been made at the department, with a reduction in crime and the use of body cameras. He believes there’s still more work to be done. “I've got plenty of projects that I look to continue to finish in the next four years,” Maples said. “We're working on currently redoing the jail booking area that's been neglected since 2007 has never been updated, currently working on a EVO track, which is emergency vehicle operation.” Independent Candidate There is one more candidate, Dwight Ingle, a former Clarksville police chief. He is not on a primary ballot because he is running as an independent. He needs a required number of signatures to appear on the ballot in November. Indiana’s Primary Election is May 5. Make WLKY a preferred source on Google Add Preferred Source Infinite Scroll Enabled Top Picks TOO CUTE: Four-legged wedding videographer named Swayze steals the show 'The Blacklist' actor and wife turn car around to adopt unforgettable puppy Lionel Messi caps Argentina farewell with a penalty and 2 assists in a 3-0 win over Benin 'The silence was deafening': Entourage actress Constance Zimmer reveals cancer diagnosis