(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. — After 18 years with the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff’s Captain Tony Gonzalez today formally announced his candidacy for Kenosha County Sheriff, becoming the third Republican to enter the race and further fueling what many inside and outside law enforcement view as a growing rebuke of the agency’s current leadership.
Gonzalez currently serves as Captain of Administrative Services, the second-highest ranking officer in the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office, outranked only by the chief deputy. His role places him at the center of the agency’s administrative, budgeting, and internal operations, offering a rare command-level view of staffing challenges, morale issues, and decision-making inside the department. His decision to run is notable, as senior command staff rarely challenge an incumbent structure unless confidence in leadership has eroded.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
In announcing his campaign, Gonzalez said his focus will be on protecting the county’s most vulnerable residents, strengthening public safety through collaboration, being a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars, and supporting the professionalism and well-being of sworn and civilian employees. He emphasized servant leadership, transparency, and rebuilding trust with both the community and law-enforcement partners.
According to multiple sources familiar with the campaign launch, Gonzalez has already received overwhelming support from both internal and external stakeholders, including current and former law-enforcement personnel and community members. That early show of backing is being viewed as a sign of momentum and internal confidence in his leadership vision.
Gonzalez has been a resident of Kenosha County since 2004 and brings a lengthy résumé that spans patrol operations, detention administration, crisis negotiation, training, and command leadership. A U.S. Navy veteran, he was named a Kenosha Hometown Hero for the fourth quarter of 2022, an honor recognizing military veterans who have made significant contributions to the community. The recognition was presented during a Kenosha Common Council meeting and highlighted both his military service and ongoing commitment to public safety.
His entry makes Gonzalez the third Republican candidate to announce in the sheriff’s race. He joins James Beller, the current Captain of Detectives, who has promoted his law-enforcement background and command experience. Another candidate, Bryan Gonzales, former KPD Officer has announce his candidacy, but has not yet filed official paperwork.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Meanwhile, incumbent Sheriff David Zoerner has not publicly stated whether he intends to seek re-election, leaving open questions about the final shape of the race and adding to the uncertainty surrounding the agency’s future leadership.
Also running is City of Kenosha Inspections Department Director Gary Roberts, who is seeking the office as an independent. Roberts is not a sworn law-enforcement officer and is not widely considered by political observers or law-enforcement insiders to be a serious contender in a race increasingly defined by command-level policing experience.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
With multiple candidates now openly stepping forward — including the agency’s second-highest ranking officer — the growing field itself has become part of the story. To many in Kenosha County, the number of challengers, combined with their seniority and experience, reflects a clear and widening lack of confidence in the Sheriff’s Office’s current leadership and signals that the 2026 election is shaping up as a referendum on the direction and stability of the department.
(File photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
38 Responses
Tony is a phenomenal cop,administrator and and even better person. He has been a humble servant of this community for 18 years. As somone who has seen him over the course of his entire career I know that he cares about everyone no matter what age, sex, race, religion or creed they are. He is a very kind, compassionate and intelligent person who will not only listen to the men and women he works with but more importantly the people he serves in Kenosha County. He is the perfect person to take the department into the future and will collaborate with the community to assure the department serves them in the best way possible.
Zoerner has failed. Both in leadership and responding and relating with the public.
The very people / taxpayers that pay his Salary.
Nice try David. You gave it a run but haven’t shown the fortitude to earn my next vote.
Don’t embarrass yourself by running again and then losing. Bow out and finish your career how ever you want. Just not as Sheriff.
Best candidate for Sheriff! Great Leader with wonderful family values. His credentials speak for themselves. Kenosha County would be lucky to have him as our Sheriff. Vote Tony G!
At least we know the current sheriff will be gone, that’s good nees.
Anyone but Zoerner!!!
What leadership?
I e seen him in Bristol…… let me look up notes!!!! Hate for skeletons to fall out that closet….
Huh?
good luck
good luck sir. he is solid
I served in the military and have served under many different leaders/leadership styles. I have worked for Cpt Gonzalez. Cpt Gonzalez demonstrates through his actions what it means to be a leader. Cpt Gonzalez is a man of integrity, high morales, and accountability. He holds himself and those who work for him to the highest of standards. He is unwavering in his dedication to the people who work for him and the people of Kenosha. Cpt Gonzalez is not a politician. He does not make promises that go unfulfilled. He will not just “tell the people what they want to hear”. Cpt Gonzalez is the standard in which all men and women who serve strive to emulate. Cpt Gonzalez has sparked life back into the Sheriff’s Office with his announcement to run for Sheriff. VOTE Gonzalez for Sheriff.
I vote for Republicans now but Republican reps in general have a hard time shaking the
corporate whore stereotype that they so richly earned a few decades ago.
They are long gone for the most part but the odor sometimes remains, sadly …
These days….. VOTE REPUBLICAN.
Who EXACTLY are the county’s most vulnerable residents??
Conservatives evidently
Such a victim mentality. Vulnerable residents generally are the very young, the very old, the sick and/or handicapped. Those seen as easy targets by criminals. Duh.
No one is talking about ice detainers will he continue to follow federal law. I feel this is a very important question to be asked of every candidate.
This is a response to a news article about a sheriff candidate. Please provide a critique and point out any logical fallacies. No one is talking about ice detainers will he continue to follow federal law. I feel this is a very important question to be asked of every candidate.
Zoerner lost my vote when he said he wouldn’t help ICE. Yes, it’s important.
Federal law supersedes state law. It’s called the Supremacy Clause, and it isn’t optional. To suggest a Sheriff can simply pick and choose which federal immigration laws to follow is a complete failure to conceptualize how our legal system actually functions.
A Sheriff’s job is to enforce the law, not to act as a social worker or a legislator. If you don’t like the current immigration statutes, your grievance is with Congress, not local law enforcement. Using a Sheriff’s race to push for the selective ignoring of federal law isn’t ‘progressive’—it’s an objective abandonment of the rule of law. If you want the law changed, do the work to change it at the federal level; until then, expect the Sheriff to do the job they swore an oath to do. The 2024 election was a definitive national mandate for border security and the rule of law—even right here in Kenosha County, where the majority of voters made their voices heard. A few lawless ‘blue’ cities don’t get to rewrite the Constitution or ignore the will of the people. A Sheriff takes an oath to enforce the law as it is written, not to act as a political filter for activists. If you don’t like the laws, go to D.C. and try to change them; until then, we expect a candidate who has the objective reasoning to follow the law and the backbone to respect the mandate of the voters.
Not when it’s unconstitutional.
Claiming a law is ‘unconstitutional’ doesn’t magically make it so. In our system, the Judiciary determines constitutionality, not a local Sheriff acting on a whim. To suggest a law enforcement officer should unilaterally decide which federal statutes are valid is the definition of a ‘lawless’ ideology.
If you think the federal immigration mandate is unconstitutional, take it to the Supreme Court. Until then, the Supremacy Clause dictates that federal law prevails. A Sheriff who picks and chooses which laws to enforce isn’t a ‘protector of rights’—they are a liability who thinks they are above the very system they swore to uphold. The voters of Kenosha County didn’t ask for a legal philosopher; they asked for a Sheriff who knows how to follow the books.
The judiciary has determined it unconstitutional .
Warrantless Home Entries
Unconstitutional Detainers
Detention and Due Process
Fourth Amendment rights Violations
All judicially determined to be unconstitutional .
Stay strong brother! Didn’t ever let a lack of comprehension influence the strength of your opinion!
Back at you dumb fk
It was once said that arguing with idiots is like playing chess with a pigeon. No matter how good you are, the bird will shit on the board and walk around like it won anyway. Ps…A federal appeals court on Friday upheld the Trump administration’s mass detention policy, allowing illegal immigrants to be detained without bond. So have that with a bag of Richards.
It is not unconstitutional to detain and deport those here illegally And they have a right to speedy justice
We have seen that people pick and choose. I think if you defy federal law, whether by refusing to let ICE know when a criminal illegal alien is being released so they can get picked up or telling people how to avoid ICE or attempting to block them, you should go to jail for a long time. But these lawbreakers get a pass.
1. Ice detainer?
2. Take that shirt off!
No court in the land has ok’d violating legal immigrants and civilians their rights under the constitution. Not one.
You have to be here legally to be under the protection of the constitutional laws.
If you are not a legal citizen then that stops anything that comes after.
Go home. Come “back” legally, and then we will further the discussion of constitutional rights.
Many have already gone back and come back, legally.
Be that person
It appears to me that ICE is after those sneaky people who snuck into this country illegally and then committed further crimes while being in this country illegally. What would you do if you came home one day only to find strangers had moved into your house?
Respectfully Gail. That’s not what’s happening. Everyone is all for getting rid of rapists, murderers, drug dealers etc. But innocent documented non criminals and citizens are getting hassled, detained, killed.
Well, except for the epstein rapists. Their free to be like the rest of us, free.
Clinton will be testifying soon, he was at the island more than any other.
Snickers?
Check that. Not civilians, U.S. citizens.
Well I hope they get all the bad guys off the streets and stop giving special treatment even to the CIs bc I know many who are out on bond for serious cases and they are getting away with still selling drugs and committing crimes but bc they are CIs they get a slap on the wrists. I don’t care who you are everyone should be treated equally and pay for their crimes not bc they a snitch. My vote goes to who gets those people off the street.
Good cop and good guy.