A write-in campaign for incumbent Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones has emerged following his defeat in the May Republican primary by former deputy Cameron Hunt. Jones, who has held the office for more than 27 years, lost the primary to Hunt by approximately 300 votes, with a final tally of 9,301 to 8,994. While Jones stated he is not involved in soliciting votes for the write-in effort, he described the movement as a grassroots community action.
The contest began in October when Hunt, then a deputy, met with Jones to announce his candidacy. Jones terminated Hunt within ten minutes of that meeting, citing the necessity of political loyalty for the effective performance of a deputy sheriff. Hunt subsequently filed a complaint with the Alabama Ethics Commission, alleging that Jones used a departmental GPS system to monitor Hunt’s residence. The commission stated it could not confirm or deny the existence of the complaint, while Jones said he would cooperate with any investigation.
Policy differences between the candidates include their approaches to immigration and firearm regulations. Hunt said he plans to sign a 287(g) agreement with federal authorities to enhance immigration enforcement and supports open carry laws. Jones stated that while his office cooperates with federal requests and has transferred more than 450 individuals to ICE custody in two years, he does not have a formal memorandum of understanding. Jones also expressed support for concealed carry permits as a means to track firearm possession.
The election highlights a national trend where approximately 62% of sheriff contests go uncontested. The use of a write-in campaign to challenge a primary winner is described by public policy experts as rare and difficult to track for success. Because the sheriff is a constitutional officer in Alabama, the position maintains significant autonomy in setting county-level policies on immigration enforcement and Second Amendment rights that operate alongside state and federal laws.
Cameron Hunt remains the only candidate whose name will be printed on the official ballot for the general election. Voters wishing to support Jay Jones must manually write his name on the ballot. The general election is scheduled for November 3, and the winner is set to take office in January. No specific dates for Ethics Commission rulings or independent investigations have been reported.