In Tuesday’s primary, members of a right-wing group are running for sheriff as Republicans in at least five Michigan counties.
Jon Rutan leads the Michigan chapter of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association. He’s also running for Hillsdale County sheriff for the fourth time.
According to Rutan, sheriffs are the only law officers directly elected by the people, and as such, they ultimately determine the validity of laws. “There are sheriffs who carry out the wishes of the state, and there are sheriffs who carry out the wishes of the people, and that’s the difference.”
He stated that this is the largest number of candidates running under the association’s flag in the state so far.
According to Rutan, if a federal law enforcement officer and a sheriff disagree on a legal issue, the sheriff’s opinion must prevail.
“If you look at other elected positions, they work for the state,” Rutan told reporters. “The sheriff’s the only one that has state authority that works for the people.”
Michael Thyng, a CSPOA member, is running for sheriff in Branch County, Jason Long in Berrien County, and Dean Brand in Allegan County as constitutional sheriff.
Sheriff Dar Leaf of Barry County is running for re-election. He is on the Constitutional Sheriffs Association’s national board. Leaf gained national prominence for pursuing a probe into unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud in Michigan’s 2020 presidential election, which he believes continues to this day.
Leaf’s three opponents all agree that he should cease pursuing false allegations and focus on his regular responsibilities.
Matt Saxton is the Michigan Sheriffs Association’s CEO. He asserted that the Michigan constitution establishes the position of sheriff as “constitutional” for all sheriffs in the state.
“I think the voters within their communities realize who is best able to serve them in their capacity as sheriff,” Saxton told reporters. “We at the Sheriffs Association are not involved with that organization, which has been around for some time and is not a new movement. It has been around for more than two decades. I don’t believe that many currently elected sheriffs are members of that organization, except in the eyes of the media.”
According to the Anti-Defamation League, an anti-hate organization, the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association is an anti-government extremist group. The founders of the association frequently maintained affiliations with extremist organizations like the Oath Keepers and white nationalist groups.