All four candidates for Bureau County Sheriff agree on the county’s most pressing public safety challenge: substance abuse and drug trafficking. But their strategies to combat it diverge sharply

With the election about a month away, the four candidates running for Bureau County Sheriff’s position spoke and answered questions from voters during a community forum on Tuesday night.

Edward Jauch: My top priority is to aggressively focus on narcotic enforcement. I believe the majority of criminal activity in the county stem from substance abuse.

As part of Shaw Local’s 2026 election coverage, we asked the candidates running for Bureau County sheriff to answer the same set of questions about public safety, leadership, and the future of the sheriff’s office. Now, you can listen to their responses anytime

Joseph Flanagan on a top priority for Bureau County Sheriff: Building relationships with all schools within Bureau County to assist in getting grants to implement School Resource Officers within each school district. Read Flanagan's full election questionnaire here

Michael Wittig: My top three priorities as sheriff are community-first policing, youth engagement, and strengthening our mental health response. Read Wittig's full election questionnaire here

Tom Kammerer: I intend to be accessible as Sheriff. I do not like sitting in the office so you will see me, as you do now as chief, patrolling and being present throughout the county. Read Kammerer's full election questionnaire here

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, has introduced legislation that, if passed, could make it easier for local farmers to sell their products to directly to consumers. The proposed bills already have bipartisan support.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood has announced millions of federal dollars secured for three projects in the 14th District: A Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation building in Shabbona, a food pantry in La Salle and a health center in Mendota.