Chip Swindell for Wells County Sheriff

05/06/2026

Tonight, I am humbled and honored by the trust our community has placed in me. Thank you, Wells County, for allowing me to lead and support the Sheriff’s Department. This past year has been incredible, and I’m truly grateful to be able to share this message with all of you.

I want to congratulate every primary winner tonight. Each candidate deserves recognition for their dedication and their commitment to serving our community.

It’s time to take a deep breath and step back from this page for a little while. The page will remain open and monitored so I don’t miss any chance to communicate with anyone who wants to reach out.

I appreciate David Rigney and wish him the best in whatever he chooses to pursue.

Once again, thank you for making me the Republican candidate for Wells County Sheriff. We’ll stay attentive to any upcoming filings from opposing parties and move forward from there.

I’ll be out and about collecting signs over the next few days.

With gratitude,
Chip

05/05/2026

Today is the day! Thank you all once again. I’ll be out all day at various voting locations, along with friends and family. I hope to see you.

I’d appreciate your vote for Republican candidate for Sheriff of Wells County!

Chip Swindell
- Leadership With Purpose -

05/04/2026

Tomorrow, our community will choose the Republican candidate for Sheriff of Wells County. I hope to be that person. Before the votes are counted, I’d like to say one more thing to you:

It’s been an honor to serve Wells County for nearly my entire adult life.

27 years ago, I wasn’t thinking about today. I was worried about keeping my uniform sharp, remembering the right radio code, representing law enforcement well, and not irritating my FTOs with dumb questions.

Confidently, I found my place. I worked through different shifts, ranks, and assignments, and I always knew there was more to accomplish. I’m still working toward those things. I’ve never stopped.

Fast forward 27 years, and I’m in a position to be an anchor for those just starting and for those already deeply invested in protecting this community. It’s humbling. I don’t take the responsibility lightly.

When you vote for Sheriff, you expect that official to provide three critical functions:

•A professional team of men and women to answer your calls
•A modern, well-equipped jail run by trained professionals
•Reliable service to our court systems

I’ll do those things. But more importantly, I’ll do them with the belief that community engagement is a necessity, that servant leadership is the standard, and that the job should be done at the lowest possible burden to our taxpayers.

My message hasn’t changed since day one. Scroll back through my posts and you’ll find my qualifications, my plans, my goals, and my gratitude.

I’ll leave you with one final qualification:

Temperament.

Police work demands a very specific temperament. It’s required on patrol when you’re walking into chaos. It’s required in the split-second decisions that can last a lifetime. It’s required when training a new deputy and recognizing their individual value. It’s required when facing fear most people can’t imagine. And it’s required when leading the men and women who do this work.

I believe I have that temperament.

To every single one of you who has supported me — the shirts, the hats, the yard signs, the parades, the likes, the shares, the messages, early votes — thank you. It’s been humbling.

To those who personally endorsed me, who helped behind the scenes, who prayed I’d get rest when sleep didn’t come easy, I appreciate you more than you’ll ever know.

My family….I can’t thank you enough here.

I sometimes wonder if my “thank you’s” land as meaningfully as I intend them to. I hope they do. It matters to me that you feel appreciated.

If you haven’t voted yet, I’d be honored to have your vote tomorrow, May 5th, for Republican candidate for Sheriff of Wells County.

-Chip

05/04/2026

Today, May 4th, is the last day to vote early! You can vote at the Clerk’s office in the court house from 8am until noon. Tomorrow looks like rain, so take advantage of a beautiful Monday!

Otherwise, vote centers for tomorrow are listed below. As always, Thank You!

I’d appreciate your Vote for Sheriff of Wells County!

-Chip

05/03/2026

With just 2 days left, I will stay focused on what truly matters: my qualifications and my ability to lead and support the Wells County Sheriff’s Department. The message has not changed because it does not need to.

I have built the most needed relationships during my career. I’ll stand on the fact that I can turn to any deputy, officer, department, agency, or first responder within my reach and receive total support. That’s a resource few people have available to them. That’s not something you walk into, it’s something you earn over decades.

20 plus years of training and mentoring our law enforcement, the people that answer your calls for service. I’ve already had a direct impact on how our community is kept safe. I’ll continue to guide them.

I’m also incredibly proud of the overwhelming support I’ve received from the staff at the Wells County Sheriff’s Department and local law enforcement. This support isn’t political; it comes from people who know me, have worked alongside me, and trust me to lead.

I have clear plans to build on the strong foundation already in place and move our department forward with new initiatives:

•A work release program, counter-addiction pathways, and faith-based programming for offenders
•A K9 program to assist our deputies and area agencies in tackling drug issues
•School safety initiatives using our existing resources
•Collaborative training with other agencies
•Exceeding training requirements for all staff and providing a clear career pathway for anyone who wants it
•Seeking alternative funding to reduce the burden on taxpayers
•Continuing to foster a department that attracts and retains the best talent in law enforcement

Our department already delivers on essential law enforcement work:

•Patrolling for criminal activity
•Enforcing traffic laws
•Making drug arrests
•Ensuring our jail operates efficiently with well-trained staff
•Running a multi-jurisdictional drug task force that delivers real results

This is what we do everyday, they are part of our daily operations, and we do them well.

I currently oversee investigations for our department involving:

•Crimes against children
•Drug dealing
•Death investigations
•Burglary/Robbery
•Fraud/Theft

As 3rd in command of the Wells County Sheriff’s Department, I’m actively involved in our daily operations. I regularly assist both the Sheriff and Chief Deputy in their duties and am ready to step in and handle their tasks when needed. I’m engaged with our jail operations and provide consistent support to our courts each week. This direct involvement across all areas of the department gives me a clear understanding of our needs and the steps necessary to continue moving forward.

I’ve continued to learn over my 27 years. I pursue new training every year to ensure I’m a resource to those who rely on me. I’m a college graduate, an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy Honor Graduate, and a 2025 graduate of the Indiana Sheriff’s Association Command Staff Leadership Program.

Most importantly, I’m committed to this community. I live here, my kids go to school here, and my wife runs a business here. Everything I do is to make Wells County a better and safer place.

If you find something meaningful in my message, I encourage you to share it. I ask for your support by voting for me on or before May 5th.

Chip Swindell
-Leadership with Purpose -

05/02/2026

Over 200 years of combined service, experience, and expertise stand behind me. Active or retired, each one is a resource I’m grateful to have in my corner.
Thank you.

-Chip

05/01/2026

04/29/2026

The support I’ve received from the men and women of the Wells County Sheriff’s Department has been humbling. These are the individuals who know the job from the inside, those who answer the call, work scenes in the rain, speak with families on their hardest days, manage violent offenders, and keep things running smoothly administratively. When the people doing this work every day stand behind a candidate, it means something. It shows they want a Sheriff who’s walked those same roads, faced those same calls, and earned their trust the only way it can be earned; over time, on the job, shoulder to shoulder.

That trust wasn’t built through a campaign. It was built over 27 years of policing right here in Wells County. I’ve worked alongside our deputies, city officers, jail staff, first responders, and dispatchers through every scenario this county can throw at us. I know these individuals by name, I understand how they work, and they understand how I operate. That’s not something that’s built overnight.

The overwhelming support I’m receiving from local law enforcement reflects relationships forged one shift, one call at a time. I’m incredibly grateful for every bit of it.

In the end, these are my teammates. When elected Sheriff, I’ll count on them. And they will be able to count on me.

Chip Swindell
-Leadership with Purpose-

04/28/2026

As I finish out my personal endorsements, I want to thank each of them once again for their support.

Tonight, I’d like to personally thank Wells County Sheriff Scott Holliday, not just for his continued support, but for his mentorship and guidance. I truly appreciate the foundation he’s laid for me to build upon. Scott, thank you for trusting me to lead.

-Chip

04/27/2026

Tim, thank you for your dedication to our community. Working with you has always been a pleasure, and I’m proud to have you in our corner, especially when it comes to prosecuting high-level felons. Thank you for standing with me in this campaign for Sheriff.
— Chip