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<\/p>\nSanta Clara County Sheriff Bob Jonsen announced he will seek re-election to a second term.<\/p>\n
In a characteristically low-key announcement on his LinkedIn last week, the 63-year-old former Los Angeles County deputy sheriff and Palo Alto police chief said of his re-election campaign: \u201cThis next chapter will be about sustaining momentum, deepening reform, and ensuring that Santa Clara County continues to lead with integrity, accountability, and compassion.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI remain committed to constitutional policing, community partnership and the wellness of the people who serve our communities,\u201d he said in the post. \u201cI\u2019m so grateful for the trust this community, and agency, have placed in me. I\u2019m ready to continue the work.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c2026 is going to be a very special year, it marks my 40th year in law enforcement,\u201d he said in an earlier post.<\/p>\n
The official nomination period for the June primary election opens Feb. 9 and continues to March 6. As of today, Jonsen is the only candidate for sheriff.<\/p>\n
\u201cFour years ago, I asked for the community\u2019s trust so we could bring greater transparency, stronger countywide collaboration, and a renewed focus on wellness to the Santa Clara County Office of the Sheriff.,\u201d Jonsen writes. \u201cTogether, we\u2019ve delivered on those commitments. We opened our work to the public in new ways, strengthened partnerships across county agencies, and built wellness initiatives that support both our staff and the communities we serve.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m proud of the progress we\u2019ve made \u2014 and I\u2019m equally clear\u2011eyed about the work that remains,\u201d he continued. \u201cOur consent decree obligations within the jails continue to be a top priority. We have made meaningful strides, and we will keep pushing forward until every requirement is met and every person in our care is treated with dignity, safety, and respect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jonsen\u2019s opponent in 2022, former Sheriff\u2019s Capt. Kevin Jensen, was convicted in 2024 of felony bribery and conspiracy charges, then acquitted last year of related charges in connection with a corruption scandal over the issuing of concealed-gun licenses that ultimately resulted in the resignation of former Sheriff Laurie Smith. Prosecutors had characterized the scandal as a years-long pay-to-play scheme in which the sheriff\u2019s office, under Smith, allegedly traded concealed-carry weapon permits for political donations, favors and other in-kind support.<\/p>\n
In his first term, Jonsen implemented new gun permit reforms and improved training and supervision at the county jail, where the gun permit scandal and allegations of mismanagement had led to a conviction of Smith, a six-term incumbent, on corruption charges in 2022 and her eventual resignation.<\/p>\n
In his 7,351-vote upset victory over Jensen, Jonsen overcame Jensen\u2019s support from a powerful law enforcement union PAC, which spent nearly $724,000 on Jensen\u2019s campaign. Jensen had collected another $276,000 for his nearly $1 million campaign, compared to just $37,200 spent by the victorious Jonson in his entirely self-funded effort.<\/p>\n
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Sheriff Bob Jonsen’s memoir, Got Your Six.<\/p>\n
The anthem-style song that Jensen wrote for his announcement, \u201cI\u2019d Do It All Again<\/a>,\u201d\u00a0 and his memoir, \u201cGot Your Six\u201d and the accompanying “Got Your Six” Spotify soundtrack<\/a> are focused on mentoring and compassion for fellow law enforcement officers, or, as it he puts it, \u201cFor every veteran looking back and asking if it mattered, For every mid-career officer questioning why they stay. For every veteran looking back and asking if it matters.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t set out to write a book,\u201d he said in a post. \u201cI set out to survive the job\u2014and stay whole while doing it. After 40 years in law enforcement, the hardest lessons weren\u2019t in policy manuals. They came from missed family gatherings, and the realization that the only promotion that truly mattered was being a father, son, husband, and brother worth their pride.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Got Your Six\u2019 is part memoir, part manual\u2014stories forged in crisis, paired with wellness tools that helped me stay grounded,\u201d Jonsen wrote.<\/p>\n