Kelvis Williams leads Gregory Patrick 53% to 46% in the Marion County sheriff’s race, with about 19% of the precinct polls reporting.
The two Democrats are on the ballot May 5 for the 2026 primary election. Polls closed at 6 p.m.
The sheriff’s office manages the jail, warrants, security at county buildings and the sex offender registry. The candidates are already on the inside: Williams, 69, currently serves as the sheriff’s executive officer and as a deputy chief for the Homeland Security Division; Patrick, 61, is a captain at the jail, where he oversees inmates and staff.
Both men have four decades of law enforcement experience, including positions with the Indiana State Police.
They agree on several key issues, including increasing pay for employees; adding more training for jail staff; addressing homelessness; and no longer housing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees in the jail beyond any short-term holds required under a new state law.
Patrick has cast himself as the candidate for change. His platform includes creating a civilian review board that would look at safety complaints inside the jail. He also advocates for hiring more mental health professionals in the jail and bringing deputies into schools as resource officers.
Williams has described himself as continuing the legacies of past sheriffs, including the current leader in office, Kerry Forestal. He said a civilian review board was not necessary because the sheriff’s office is already “extremely transparent” with the media and the public.
Instead, Williams’ platform is about increasing checks on sex offenders, adding more programming in the jail for inmates and collaborating with community and faith-based organizations to reduce youth crime.
The race has seen some controversy. Williams faced criticism for sending out a flyer to voters that seemed to imply he had been endorsed by the local Democratic party. In 2023, Marion County Democrats abandoned the practice of slating — endorsing candidates before the primary races — after accusations of favoritism.
Williams has publicly apologized: “It was my campaign, it was my error and it is not how I do business or lead my life,” he wrote on Facebook.
Patrick’s reaction included calls for transparency.
“The next sheriff of Marion County will be responsible for the trust, safety and dignity of every resident in this county,” he wrote on Facebook. “That job requires doing things the right way — even when no one is watching.”
Whichever candidate wins the primary is likely to win the November election in heavily Democratic Marion County. At this point, no one else is running. Republicans, though, could fill a vacancy on the ballot to make the general election competitive.
Marion County Clerk’s race
Kate Sweeny Bell leads Karla López Owens by about 51% to 43% in the Marion County clerk’s race, with about 19% of the precinct polls reporting.
The two Democrats are facing off to become the next county clerk, a position that includes being the secretary of the county election board and managing records and payments for the local court system.
Kate Sweeney Bell is running for a second term. She is the former chair of the Marion County Democratic Party and has close ties to Mayor Joe Hogsett.
Her challenger is Karla López Owens, a deputy prosecutor and a leader of the Indiana Latino Democratic Caucus. In 2020, López-Owens lost a seat on the city-county council in a caucus vote.
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Mirror Indy reporter Mary Claire Molloy covers health. Reach her at 317-721-7648 or email maryclaire.molloy@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @mcmolloy7.
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