Local law enforcement works hard every single day to protect and serve all of our local communities. Good men and women put on their uniforms and perform their duties 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Teamwork is the key to our local success. It requires collaboration and cooperation from all levels of government to ensure we continue to be successful in keeping our communities safe and vibrant. Only one candidate for our local congressional seat has taken the time to reach out, learn, cooperate and communicate about the current and future challenges facing public safety, and that is Jeff Denham.
Jeff Denham’s commitment to our local law enforcement agencies and his willingness to always communicate with the law enforcement community is one of the many reasons why our local representative to Congress has the support of 58 sheriffs in California. It’s why he has the endorsement of law enforcement groups like the Modesto Police Officers Association, the San Joaquin Police Officers Association and the California State Sheriffs Association.
With Stanislaus County being the most substantial part of the 10th Congressional District, we would hope anyone running for such an office would be eager to have a working relationship with their local sheriff. Protecting life and property is an essential and non-partisan issue. We need leaders who have a willingness and a track record of working with local agencies to achieve success. Leaders like Representative Jeff Denham, who has worked with local law enforcement for over a decade. We would have hoped his opponent, a young businessman who has virtually no experience with public safety or law enforcement, would have reached out to us to discuss issues and policy that could have a direct impact on our local community’s public safety efforts. Mr. Harder has been running for Congress for over a year and has not made an effort to reach out to either one of us.
Experience is essential in leadership and government. We believe Jeff Denham is the only candidate who is ready to work with and understands the challenges facing our local agencies and communities from day one. We have concerns about Mr. Harder’s inexperience and some of his policy positions on issues like gun regulations, sanctuary cities, government spending, and local control. All of which have direct impacts on local governments and local law enforcement agencies. Especially his position on Sanctuary Cities, no one should be advocating hampering relationships or collaboration between law enforcement at any level of government. While we would never allow anything to stand in our way to protect and defend this county, such policy positions issued for political points are inherently dangerous and, in our view, unconstitutional.
Actions speak much louder than words. The plain and simple fact is Josh Harder hasn't made any effort to build a working relationship with us, whereas Jeff has been and continues to be a strong supporter of public safety and all of the law enforcement agencies in CA10. He stands with us. We are proud to endorse Congressman Jeff Denham for re-election and encourage all those who place public safety at the top of issues important to them in this election year to support him as well.
— Adam Christianson is the Sherriff of Stanislaus County. Jeff Dirkse is the Sheriff-Elect of Stanislaus County. Both have over 40 years of combined law enforcement leadership and experience.
