Undersheriff joins growing list of St. Joseph County sheriff candidates
CENTREVILLE – St. Joseph County Undersheriff Jason Bingaman filed paperwork Thursday, making official his candidacy for sheriff.
Voters will choose from a growing field of contenders in the August 2024 primary election to succeed Mark Lillywhite, who is not seeking re-election. Bingaman joins Dennis Allen, Chad Spence and his cousin, Joe Bingaman, as candidates for the role.
Bingaman said he expects few people will be surprised to hear news of his intentions.
“I have people calling everyday and asking why I haven’t said something yet, so whether I join the race appears to be on the mind of some people,” the lifelong Mendon-area resident said. “We’re at a point now where a number of people have filed and I have to just get going. I have a daily responsibility at the sheriff’s department, so I’m going to try to make sure my campaign isn’t a distraction, but if you don’t campaign, you’re not going to make any progress.”
Bingaman has been with the Centreville-based agency for 15 years, serving as undersheriff since January 2021. With Lillywhite’s high-profile arrest for drunken driving earlier this year, Bingaman acknowledged it’s inevitable people will link him with Lillywhite and rush to a “guilt by association” judgment.
The 51-year-old Bingaman said Lillywhite spent 28 years “doing a ton of things right” at the sheriff’s department.
“It’s easy to dismiss that when you look at the circumstances behind his incident … it doesn’t mean people are not disappointed with what happened, but that’s working its course out and that’s why you have so many people running for this office,” Bingaman said. “I understand there’s work ahead to restore the public’s trust. It’s not just about working hard, it’s about having the right attitude and vision moving forward, and anybody not currently working there who is seeking this position, they have to try to point out faults. You’re not going to run for office and say, ‘Boy, that office is running great; I think we need to change,’ or ‘Man, what a great office, I just really want to be sheriff.’”
With a relatively large field of candidates already committed to a race that won’t be decided for 14 months, Bingaman said there are countless opportunities for the race to get ugly. He said he plans to take the high road and focus on his strengths, disregarding potential weakness of his competitors.
He said candidates typically show a level of respect toward each other and Bingaman said he has no reason to think that won’t continue in this case. The cheap shots and fabrications, however, tend to come from supporters and their sometimes lack of accountability on social media, Bingaman noted.
On the upside, Bingaman noted the cushion of more than a year gives candidates the opportunity to share their information and the public will be well educated by election day.
“My strengths include the fact I’ve been doing it. I’ve been doing it every day for the last 15 years. The last three years I’ve been in the undersheriff’s role where I’m running the day-to-day operations,” Bingaman said. “More recently, multiple roles, of course.”
He said he’s been involved in the community in several capacities, including coaching, and as a member of United Way and Kiwanis.
“Service has been and continues to be important to me. Very important,” Bingaman said. “As sheriff, service has to be one of your most important areas of concentration if you want to do it right.”
Bingaman is a high school state-champion wrestler for Mendon High School, and a four-time collegiate All-American and a member of the Lake Superior State University Athletics Hall of Fame.
His previous law-enforcement experience was at agencies in Decatur, Constantine, White Pigeon and a nine-year stint in Three Rivers before joining the sheriff’s department.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Undersheriff joins growing list of St. Joseph County sheriff candidates
