Fentanyl hot topic in Williamson County sheriff's race

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- As of Saturday, more than half of all registered voters in Williamson County cast their ballot, according to the county's website. One of the biggest races there is for sheriff.

Current sheriff Mike Gleason is running against Matthew Lindemann -- the current Precinct 3 Constable.

Home to more than 600,000 people, and cities where many people commute to and from Austin every day, Williamson County is integral to the greater metro area.

One of the hot topics in this sheriff's face is fentanyl.

It's something Sheriff Mike Gleason, a Democrat, has taken seriously in the county.

"It's the belief that a lot of counties that have major thoroughfares, that it's not the responsibility of that district attorney, or that sheriff, to intercept something that's not intended for their jurisdiction. I don't believe in that," Gleason said.

Sheriff candidate Matthew Lindemann, a Republican, has a different approach.

"I think we need to be proactive rather than reactive," Lindemann said. "I think we need to give school officials, superintendents and parents programs to educate our kids so that they won't take these pills to begin with."

Gleason said he should continue as sheriff because of what he's accomplished over the last four years.

"We've secured pay raises. We've returned civil service. We're full," Gleason said. "Not many agencies can so that they're full. I've got a waiting list on both sides. So we've recreated the culture. Everyone here is in it to win it. They're here for a reason."

Lindemann argues not enough is being done.

"I stay awake at night thinking about the possibility that my grandchild could get a fentanyl pill and die from that," Lindemann said. "Violent crime has been on the rise for the last three years. Sexual assaults and family violence are up, so there's a lot of work to do."

Work that will be decided by voters soon.

Gleason was the first Democrat to be elected sheriff in more than 30 years in Williamson County in 2020. He defeated then-sheriff Robert Chody.

You can read more about each campaign online. You can read more about Gleason here and Lindemann here.