Tennessee › Montgomery County › Sheriff
3 candidates are tracked for Sheriff on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Mike Oliver, Dexter L. Mines Sr. and Johnny M. Ransdell. Candidate information follows official Montgomery County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Open seat: incumbent Sheriff John Fuson is not on the ballot, per the certified qualified-candidates list and the county's Elected Officials list. On Montgomery County's August 6, 2026 county general ballot, per the Election Commission's certified qualified-candidates list. County offices are decided at this election; the printed ballot also provides a write-in line. RESULTS ARE IN: this race was decided on August 6, 2026. Totals from the county Election Commission are unofficial until the county canvass, due no later than Monday, August 24 (Tenn. Code 2-8-101); Tennessee has no automatic recount.
Law enforcement officer with over 32 years of experience, beginning with the Tennessee Department of Correction and then the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, where he worked corrections, road patrol, K-9, the drug task force and the special victims unit, per Clarksville Now's candidate Q&A.
2026 priorities
- Restore public access to the jail booking log, per Clarksville Now's Q&A
- Deputy retention through competitive pay, training and clear promotion pathways, per Clarksville Now's Q&A and his campaign site
- School safety, traffic safety and community partnerships, per his campaign site
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-08-29.
Campaign site →
Army veteran and 22-year law enforcement professional whose career spans the Greenbrier Police Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy and service as assistant director of the Tennessee POST Commission, per Clarksville Now's candidate Q&A.
2026 priorities
- Evidence-based jail programs: mental health, substance abuse treatment and reentry planning, per Clarksville Now's Q&A
- Community trust and transparency, per his campaign site and the Q&A
- Deputy wellness and professional development, per his campaign site
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-08-29.
Campaign site →
Retired Clarksville Police Department officer whose 31-year career included the Fatal Accident Crash Team, Juvenile Engagement Team, Street Crimes Unit, Special Operations Unit and Major Crimes Unit, per Clarksville Now's candidate Q&A.
2026 priorities
- Publish a conviction log rather than a booking log of un-adjudicated arrestees, per Clarksville Now's Q&A
- Deputy retention through competitive pay and promotion from within, per Clarksville Now's Q&A
- Manage growth with more deputy visibility; supports the county's public safety annex, per Clarksville Now's Q&A
