2026 Candidate Spotlight: Meet Jeffrey R. Gahler

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — Jeffrey R. Gahler has entered the race for Harford County Sheriff. Patch posed questions to each candidate running for office.

Below you will find Gahler's responses, verbatim:

Name: Jeffrey R. Gahler
Age on Election Day: 61
Hometown: Forest Hill
Political Affiliation: Republican

Email address to be published:Jeff@gahlerforsheriff.com

Campaign website/Facebook page: www.gahlerforsheriff.com/ and www.facebook.com/HarfordCountySheriff

Do you have any previous political experience? If so, please state and explain how that experience will influence your time in office if elected:

As far as “political experience” in running for elected office, I first ran for sheriff in 2010, while still serving the citizens of Maryland as a sworn member of the State Police. Although that race was close and ultimately unsuccessful, I was undeterred and remained committed to serving Harford County. I ran again in 2014 and was elected by an overwhelming number of voters in our County, and I was re-elected in 2018 and 2022 based on my record of public safety leadership, operational results, and the trust of Harford County residents.

With 28 years in the Maryland State Police, retiring from the senior command in 2012, I have long been engaged in the political and legislative process surrounding public safety. Throughout my State Police career, I regularly testified on proposed public safety legislation, ensuring policymakers heard directly from someone with frontline and command-level experience. That work helped shape laws and policies affecting state, local agencies and the communities we served.

As Sheriff, I continue to use my elected position and the informed, professional expertise of the men and women of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office to advocate for public safety matters that impact our citizens and the safety of their families. That advocacy is not new to me; it has been a core part of my responsibilities for many years.

What do you believe is the single-most important issue facing voters in the district you’re looking to represent? How do you intend to address those issues?

What continues to harm residents of Harford County and the state of Maryland are decisions made by legislators and the Governor that weaken accountability for repeat offenders and limit the tools law enforcement needs to keep our neighborhoods safe. When laws make it harder to hold prolific offenders responsible, the burden falls directly on our deputies and on the families and businesses we serve.

At the county level, residents are further harmed by a pattern of policies that weaken support for law enforcement and restrict our ability to hold criminals accountable. When resources are delayed, when enforcement tools are limited, or when decisions are made without regard for operational realities, the impact is felt directly by our deputies and by the communities we protect.

If I am once again entrusted by the people of Harford County to serve another term, my first 100 days (as well as every day that follows) will focus on reversing those negative impacts. I will continue to use my voice, strongly and unapologetically, to advocate for public safety policies that protect our community, support our law enforcement and correctional professionals, and ensure we have the resources, staffing, and authority necessary to stay ahead of emerging threats.

My commitment remains exactly the same today as it did my first day in office: defending the safety of Harford County and standing firmly with the men and women who honorably and enthusiastically serve it every day.

How do you differ from other candidates running against you? How would your work experience benefit the goals/objectives you’ve outlined in your campaign and/or the office you’re seeking?

I differ from anyone running against me in one fundamental way, I bring nearly four decades of direct, operational public safety leadership experience to the role of Sheriff of Harford County, including 28 years with the Maryland State Police, retiring from senior leadership in a command position, and almost twelve years of service as Sheriff. My entire career has been spent leading men and women in complex, evolving public safety environments where effective decisions directly influence the wellbeing of our communities. That depth of experience cannot be replicated or substituted.

What truly sets me apart is how I have used that experience to modernize the Sheriff’s Office, strengthen our capabilities, and prepare Harford County for emerging threats. From implementing new technologies and data driven strategies, to improving training, to building partnerships that enhance our ability to prevent and respond to crime, I have focused on ensuring our Agency stays ahead of the challenges facing today’s law enforcement professionals.

My record reflects steady, informed leadership - leadership that understands how to adapt, innovate, and keep our communities safe, while supporting the men and women who serve them every day.

What is your opinion of the work being done by the current office holder, and how will you improve on it? If that is you - how do you plan to continue improving upon what you've already accomplished?

Speaking as Sheriff, I could not be more proud of the work we have done to reduce crime, strengthen community safety, and support the men and women of this Office. Our progress is real, measurable, and the direct result of a professional team committed to serving Harford County.

In fact, in our last independent community survey, the Sheriff’s Office under my leadership, received an 85% approval rate from our residents, and 91% of our residents felt safe in our community. This incredible level of community support demonstrates we (my team and I) have moved the Office in the right direction and it will be our collective goal to continue to build upon this exceptional level of trust in my next term in office.

How do you feel about the school system in your area and what improvements would you like to see be made?

Harford County is fortunate to have a strong school system with dedicated teachers, administrators, and support staff who care deeply about our students. From a law‑enforcement perspective, the most important thing we can do is to build on the strong partnership between the Sheriff’s Office and our schools. A positive, collaborative relationship is essential to keeping students safe and ensuring that learning environments remain focused on education, not disruption.

One of the most successful components of that partnership has been our School Resource Officer (SRO) program. Our SROs are not just law‑enforcement professionals, they are mentors, problem‑solvers, and trusted adults who build relationships with students and staff every day. The SRO program has proven its value time and time again by preventing incidents, improving communication, and creating a safer, more supportive atmosphere in our schools.

Looking ahead, I would like to see continued investment in school safety measures and an expansion of the SRO program. As threats to schools evolve, so must our strategies. That includes modern training, improved coverage, and ensuring every school has the resources it needs to maintain a safe and secure environment.

My commitment is simple - to work hand‑in‑hand with the school system, parents, teachers, and students to ensure that every child in Harford County can learn in a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment.

How do you feel about crime in your area and what steps can be taken to reduce it?

As I have in the past, I will measure success through lower crime numbers and by listening directly to our community. During my tenure as Sheriff of Harford County, we achieved record low crime, not just crime rates, but the lowest number of actual criminal incidents ever recorded by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office under the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.

Now, having transitioned to the FBI’s new National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS), I am pleased that the past two years have again shown declining crime numbers for our Agency and for the citizens we serve. These results reflect the professionalism of our deputies and the effectiveness of the strategies we have put in place.

We will also continue to routinely survey, through an independent professional company, our citizens on the services and public safety matters that impact them daily. Our initial survey produced an approval rating so high that the survey company remarked it was a “higher approval rating than they have seen anywhere else in the Country.” That level of trust is earned, not assumed.

My team and I have set the bar high, and the men and women who serve this community consistently perform to those standards. Their dedication, combined with data-driven strategies, modernized operations, and ongoing community feedback, will continue to guide our efforts to keep Harford County safe.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

This election, voters have a clear choice. They can choose someone whose leadership is tested and proven, leadership shaped under some of the worst real world circumstances imaginable and by years of steady, effective service to a community that expects, and rightly deserves, excellence.

Harford County is a very safe place to live, but we are not immune from serious incidents. We have faced them, and through my leadership and the work of my team, we have met every challenge while partnering with our local, state, and federal allies to deliver record low crime for our residents.

I have also consistently stood up for the men and women of law enforcement and corrections, and that support is reflected in the endorsements I’ve received. More than 90% of the Deputy Sheriffs Union voted to endorse me to continue in my role as Sheriff, as well as, the Harford County Correctional Association, which has also endorsed me.

The Municipal Fraternal Order of Police, comprised of officers from Bel Air, Aberdeen, and Havre de Grace has endorsed me. The Harford County Fraternal Order of Police, comprised of active and retired police who have worked in Harford County, has endorsed me. And most recently, I received the endorsement of the Maryland State Fraternal Order of Police. Police officers and deputy sheriffs from across Maryland recognize the value of steady leadership, leadership that improves morale, supports employees, and delivers safer communities.

As a Sheriff who has done the job and stands ready to continue doing the job, I am seeking our community’s support for another term. I remain committed to serving our wonderful Harford County community, protecting our citizens, and being a strong, reliable voice for public safety matters that impact Harford County.