(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA, Wis. — In what is being viewed by many inside Kenosha County law enforcement as a devastating rebuke of Sheriff David Zoerner’s first three years in office, the Kenosha County Deputy Sheriff’s Association overwhelmingly endorsed Captain Tony Gonzalez for sheriff following a candidate forum and question-and-answer session.
According to information provided to Kenosha County Eye, Zoerner received just one vote from members of his own agency. Independent candidate Gary Roberts, who is widely viewed as having virtually no path to victory, reportedly received two votes.
That means nearly the entire rank-and-file membership of the association backed someone other than the sitting sheriff.
Zoerner, a Democrat running as a Republican, now appears to be facing a political collapse within his own agency. Meanwhile, both Gonzalez and Kenosha Police Captain James Beller are Republicans who have campaigned heavily on law-and-order issues, federal cooperation and restoring confidence in leadership.
For many close to the Sheriff’s Office, the endorsement was not surprising. Gonzalez is widely regarded as one of the most liked and respected command staff members in the department and has built strong relationships with deputies, corrections officers, dispatchers and support staff over the years.
People familiar with both Sheriff’s Office and Kenosha Police Department dynamics said deputies were expected to rally around Gonzalez because he is viewed internally as one of their own.
The vote, however, appears to be about more than simply supporting a popular captain.
During the public question-and-answer session, and in separate conversations with deputies afterward, members sharply criticized Zoerner over what they described as poor public relations, questionable hiring practices, uneven discipline, morale issues and a perceived lack of leadership within the department.
Several deputies publicly questioned Zoerner’s management style, while others privately told Kenosha County Eye they believe the sheriff has lost the confidence of much of his workforce.
Another major point of contention, both during the forum and in private conversations afterward, was the belief among some deputies that County Executive Samantha Kerkman exerts too much influence over the Sheriff’s Office and, in practice, runs the department more than Zoerner does.
That criticism has followed Zoerner for months, particularly after his shifting position on federal immigration cooperation and the 287(g) program. Zoerner initially declined to pursue the agreement before later reversing course and signing it after political pressure intensified.
Some inside law enforcement believe that reversal damaged Zoerner politically and reinforced a perception that he was taking direction from Kerkman rather than acting independently as sheriff.
Kenosha County Eye asked Zoerner whether he planned to make changes if reelected given what appears to be overwhelming dissatisfaction among his rank and file. Zoerner declined comment.
Zoerner was also asked whether he still intends to continue his campaign despite what many are calling an embarrassing rejection by members of his own agency. He again declined comment.
Kenosha County Eye also asked County Executive Samantha Kerkman whether she believed her reported role in discouraging Zoerner from signing the 287(g) agreement before later supporting it may have contributed to his political problems within law enforcement circles. Kerkman declined comment.
During the candidate forum, Gonzalez reportedly received two standing ovations from members in attendance, further underscoring the enthusiasm surrounding his candidacy.
Detective Nick Moro, president of the Kenosha County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, said the endorsement came after members had an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates and ask questions about the future of the agency. Moro said deputies ultimately believed Gonzalez was the best candidate to improve morale, strengthen communication and restore confidence within the Sheriff’s Office.
Moro said association members were looking for a sheriff who would support deputies, corrections officers, dispatchers and civilian staff while bringing stronger leadership and accountability to the department. He said members believed Gonzalez had the experience, temperament and internal support necessary to move the agency forward.
When asked by KCE how he felt about receiving the endorsement and what he believed it said about the contrast between himself and Sheriff David Zoerner, Gonzalez responded: “This one hits home. I’ve spent 18 years in the ‘trenches’ with deputies, detectives, correctional officers, and supervisors, and there’s no higher praise than the respect of the people actually doing the job. I’ve never seen myself as ‘above’ them, I’ve always been right there alongside them. Knowing they trust me to lead means everything, and it only makes me more determined to continue working just as hard for them as they do and in turn for our community.”
Gonzalez continued: “The Sheriff has served this county for a long time, and that deserves acknowledgement. To me, this endorsement is less about comparison and more about the staffs vision for the department. As a Deputy Sheriff, Sergeant, Lieutenant, and now Captain, I’ve always believed in leading from the front and being there when the men and women need me. They’re choosing a specific style of leadership, one that’s present, engaged, authentic, and I’m fully committed to keeping that momentum going. This is a call for change, and not just based on my perspective.”
The endorsement also appears to solidify what many observers now believe is a two-person Republican race between Gonzalez and Beller.
For Zoerner, the vote represents perhaps the clearest sign yet that many of the people who know his leadership best no longer believe he should continue leading the agency.
Whether that dissatisfaction among deputies translates to voters remains to be seen, but inside the Sheriff’s Office, the message from the rank and file could not have been much clearer.
39 Responses
DZ first ran as a Republican lost to Beth. Then ran as a Democrat lost to Beth. Then last time ran as Republican again and won with Beth retired.
Go get them Tony !!!
Should be an asset to Sheriff Beller’s administration
His morals, ethics and knowledge make him the only choice.
Zoerner made promises that he never kept. And he delegated everything away… making no decisions for himself. It has nothing to do ICE looking for cheap labor. It’s mainly high turnover and no respect for personnel.
You can rule ignorance; you can manipulate the illiterate; you can do whatever you want when a people are uneducated, so that goes in line with corrupt business and corrupt politics.
>will.i.am
Ask some Department & Division heads about Kerkman and I bet they will say the same thing.
She micromanages everything and she’s not GOOD at anything. And, unfortunately, thanks to the board giving her the ability to replace these professionals “at her pleasure,” they have to bend to her will, even when she is dreadfully wrong.
Sheriff David Zoerner wearing a Pink Pu**sy hat….Yeah that sure helped his image.
…. unless the conservatives, rank and file GOP republicans SHOW THE FUCK UP AT THE POLLS none of what happened here mean anything.
Me out here in the country am more than happy to support Tony !!
But my vote is just one vote.
The political machine that will support Zoerner will be strong regardless of a no confidence vote as shown here.
“Our side” needs a concentrated effort to win this office.
Sandy ?
Are you listening. Where are you on this race ?
He’ll never lead like David Beth!
David Beth was not a great leader he just knew how to play politics when it mattered. Nice guy not so great at his leadership skills, same as Zoerner! Tony has shown great leadership skills within the department already and is very widely respected by department members.
That’s not a bad skill set. In a populous county the sheriff isn’t serving as a law enforcement officer but often more in a political manner. A good political sheriff lets the chief deputy run the department and does all the schmoozing to get the resources the department needs. Win-win situation. One of Dave Beth’s problems was letting his temper get the best of him. For Dave Zoerner to lose the support of the rank and file so quickly is a big deal.
Fake Trumpgonnatrump
You’re the fake!
Let’s ask Kevin who was first.
You’ll always be second to me!
This is, sadly, like deja vu all over again.
The union is backing Gonzales as a protest against Zoerner who ran as a protest against Beth who ran as a protest against Zarletti and so on. Supporting or not supporting a candidate because of an axe to grind is getting old. Nothing against Tony who is a great guy but it sure seems like something is off inside the sheriff’s department that once a new sheriff is elected the rank and file goes sour on the person they backed. I was surprised that Zoerner is running for another term — kind of seemed like he was hanging it up — but there is a benefit of riches in that there are credible candidates. Maybe Beller is a better choice. Maybe it takes someone from the outside to see what’s wrong. I’m looking forward to hearing from everyone before I decide.
As for the 287(g) agreement, that’s a big red herring. KSD has cooperated with ICE and its predecessors for years without it. When someone is arrested and again when released they check for warrants anyway. Cooperation with the feds often turns into a lopsided situation where they hold most of the cards. Not signing the 287(g) was not like being a sanctuary city and telling the feds to go pound sand. Even without it there was cooperation here for many years so it’s really a b.s. issue.
And as for the incumbent sheriff, I’ve been disappointed. Dave Beth had his issues, no doubt about that. But I’d rather have him show up in his polo shirt when needed than to see the incumbent strut his stuff. He could have done a better job.
This ICE agreement is much different than the previous contract to house ICE. They underpaid the department, were extremely demanding and dumped so many “detainees” here that is strained resources and slowed operations. Another contract does nothing for the county.
Zoerner is getting rejected because he’s following Beth’s lead….. shaking hands and playing golf, but no actual work. He hides from lower level staff and has broken many promises. Employees hoped for changes and got nothing.
Beller knows nothing about the Sheriff’s Dept and Corrections/Jail. Zoerner is too busy enjoying the attention.
This guy is solid. Not a sergeant, but a captain. He is respected by his peers and is a straight shooter. DZ was a big fiasco, and he has to go. Captain G. has an impeccable record, and unless Fatso decides to change it, he is by far the best candidate for the job.
I don’t know if Tony is the best qualified for the job or not. I want to hear more. So far — and I am not prejudging him — Tony sounds like he’d be a great chief deputy and that’s a very high compliment. A good sheriff has to be a bit of a political schmoozer and ass kisser to get the things the department needs and a great sheriff lets the law enforcement professionals run the day to day operations. Both Tony and Beller sound like they understand the law enforcement aspect to the job but being sheriff is more political.
What makes him better than Beller?
Beller is an outsider, free of the stank of Kerkman’s Kenosha County Government.
I know all of them and can’t decide if Beller is better or Tony is better or either is better. Actually the good news is that they are both credible candidates and the bad news is that they are both credible candidates. I want to hear more.
The only problem with Beller is that he is KPD. The rivalry between the KSD and KPD could be a deal-breaker. It is nowhere near as bad as it was, but it is still there. Will the KSD personnel want a KPD figure leading their department. Hard to tell. It isn’t like someone completely outside from leading the organization, but it’s close.
Thankfully the blockheads who hilariously thought the KPD was the ONLY law enforcement agency in the whole country that was doing everything the “right” way and everyone else was “wrong”, have long since retired and the relationship between the departments is now much better.
I’m sure we will be saying the same stuff about the new guy in a few years. These guys all suck.
Maybe you could do better??
Mike Rizzo for Sheriff 🤡
Nah, school board!
Whoever will be toughest on speeders and litterers should win. I’d love to see every speeder wind up dead in the ditch.
If you knew anything about Zoerner when he was a deputy than you would know he needs everyone to like him. That hasnt changed throughout any of the years he has been there and it got worse when he was elected Sheriff
Fuck Zoerner, I know the guy personally and he’s a dumbass.
Hows that “voting” working out for everyone?!
Kevin: BTW Dispatchers aren’t County. They are Kenosha Joint Services… a separate organization.