Former Major Suing Department Is Planning To Run For Sheriff

Thursday, May 2, 2019 at 8:25 AM

By Mike Perleberg @mikedup84

Charmaine McGuffey will challenge Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil in the 2020 Democratic primary election.

Charmaine McGuffey is planning to challenge Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil in the 2020 Democratic primary election. Photo via mcguffeyforsheriff.com.

(Hamilton County, Oh.) - A former jail commander is going to challenge Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neal.

Charmaine McGuffey is planning to announce her candidacy for sheriff on May 15, according to the Charmaine McGuffey For Sheriff Facebook page.

"Come learn about her plans to bring accountability, justice reform, and community engagement to the Sheriff's Office," the page states.

McGuffey will try to win the Democratic nomination and unseat Neal, who is also a Democrat.

A former major for the sheriff's office, she was demoted from her position as the head of the Hamilton County Justice Center in 2017. She later quit working for the office, citing resentment toward her as a high-ranking woman in the department and her attempts to investigate use of force incidents at the jail.

McGuffey has filed a federal lawsuit against the sheriff’s office over those same allegations. That lawsuit is pending.

Neil was first elected sheriff in 2012 and was re-elected in 2016.

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