Harron to Run for Sheriff as Democrat, After Republicans Selected Nolan

COURT HOUSE – In an unusual, possibly unprecedented move, after losing the Republican nomination, Richard Harron accepted the Democratic nomination for the seat March 29, at a meeting at the Historic Courthouse. 
Harron, a retired sheriff’s officer with extensive experience in the department, had challenged Undersheriff Robert Nolan for the Republican nomination to succeed Sheriff Gary Schaffer, who decided not to seek another term this year.
On March 13, members of the Republican County Committee voted to support Nolan for the nomination. 
After that meeting, Harron congratulated Nolan, but would not say if he would take it to the primary election in June. Instead he has changed parties.
“A few days after the Republican convention, a member of the Democratic Party reached out to me and asked if I would consider advancing my campaign to become the Cape May County Sheriff under their ticket,” Harron wrote in a statement posted to his campaign’s Facebook page March 30.
“I was taken back by the offer, but, at the same time, intrigued by the idea. After serious consideration, a few sleepless nights, and after speaking with many of my supporters, I have decided to accept their offer,” he wrote.
At the convention March 29, the Democrats also nominated two candidates for the Board of Chosen Freeholders, Gregory Wall of Middle Township and Danielle Davies of Upper Township, and supported the re-election of state Sen. Jeff Van Drew and Assemblymen Robert Andrzejczak and Bruce Land.
Incumbent Freeholders Jeff Pierson and Will Morey are seeking reelection to the currently all-Republican county governing body.
The last Democrat to be elected to the board was Van Drew, who went on to Assembly and then the Senate, helping put together an all-Democratic team for the formerly solidly Republican 1st District.
County Republicans also nominated Mary Gruccio of Vineland for Senate, and James Sauro of Vineland, and Brian McDowel of North Wildwood for Assembly.
According to Jeffrey Sutherland, Cape May County’s Democratic chairman, the Democrats plan to meet at the Beach Plum Farm April 2 to offer their nomination to Phil Murphy for governor. County Republicans have backed Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno to replace Chris Christie, who is ineligible to seek re-election.
But for now, most of the attention is on the sheriff’s race, and the lifelong Republican set to run as a Democrat.
“We’re very proud and happy to have him as a candidate,” Sutherland said. He added that he believes the sheriff’s office, and other constitutional officers, should go to the most qualified candidate, without regard to political affiliation.
“I think he is extremely qualified to be the best sheriff we could have in the county,” Sutherland said.
Harron, 52, of Villas, had a 25-year career in the Sheriff’s Department, spending his last seven years as the warden of the county correctional center.
Nolan, too, has had extensive experience in the department, and formerly served as a Lower Township councilman.
In his posted statement, Harron expects that some will question his loyalty, but said in his conversations, no one has questioned his honesty of commitment to uphold the oath of office if elected.
“My vision transcends party lines,” he wrote. “The opioid epidemic and the crime in our neighborhoods affects all of us,  Republicans, Democrats, and independents; regardless of race, religion, personal beliefs, and/or economic status, the administrative oversight of the sheriff’s office should also transcend party lines as well; this is the only way we can have a sheriff’s office that is viewed as being objective, fair, and balanced; this is what our citizens deserve.” Usually, the sheriff’s office sees little controversy, and in many election years, the race for the only elected law enforcement position in the state has not been challenged.
But this year, the office has been embroiled in a fight over a previously obscure federal program through the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, known as 287(g).
Schaffer applied for the program, which will provide training for three officers in the county jail, in October. This year, critics of the program packed several freeholder meetings, raising concerns about undocumented immigrants.
According to Schaffer and other county officials, the program will only be active in the county jail, but many of the speakers told the freeholders that the program contributes to an atmosphere of fear for local families. Some at the meetings called for a change in the sheriff’s office.
But while that issue and pushback against President Donald Trump expressed in marches and meetings, have energized local Democrats, Harron did not say he would scrap the ICE agreement.
“I talked with a group about it last night,” Harron said on Thursday, “It’s something I would definitely review if I get in there.” He said the agreement seemed only to formalize things that were already in place since 2008.
Harron was unequivocal, however, that he would not support using the under-construction multi-million dollar county jail as a detention center for ICE.
Sutherland also mentioned that was something that the candidate would oppose.
However, while some speakers critical of ICE at the freeholder meeting raised that possibility, Schaffer has never proposed it, and county officials have said there is no plan either in the works or under consideration to house any out-of-county prisoners at the new jail, which is expected to be completed in 2018. 
To contact Bill Barlow, email bbarlow@cmcherald.com.