Dear Editor,

As a newcomer to local politics, I have been watching all of the campaigns very closely, and I am particularly inspired by the leadership of Jim Smith. I am proud to endorse his campaign for sheriff.

Jim has a long track record of serving the community. He just ended a successful stint as president of the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club. He’s an active member of the Leesburg Lions Club, an elected member of the Tippecanoe Township Board and is an outstanding deputy for the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office, to name just a few of his roles. He also served our country by volunteering for the Army Reserves during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

One of the things I admire about Jim is that he knows how to take a punch and keep on going. That’s an important quality for a leader. It’s no secret that politics can get nasty, and some of Jim’s political opponents, especially on social media, have attacked him in very personal and ridiculous ways. But Jim hasn’t backed down, and he hasn’t let up. He’s focused on the big things — on how he can best serve the community now and in the future — and he knows that at the end of the day, the petty political attacks are all just noise. Like he’s said from the beginning, he’s about “More Service, Less Politics.”

Jim Smith is someone everyone can look up to. I encourage everyone to vote for him on or before Nov. 8.

Scott Clay
Secretary of Young Adult Republicans