Bill Brown officially kicks off re-election campaign for Santa Barbara County Sheriff

SANTA MARIA, Calif. -- Bill Brown officially kicked off his re-election campaign for Santa Barbara County Sheriff during an announcement ceremony Wednesday afternoon.

Speaking in front of a group supporters at the entrance to the brand new Northern Branch Jail, Brown said he is seeking a fifth term as Sheriff, a position he has held since 2006.

"I'm running again because I love my job," said Brown. "I love what I do."

Brown emphasized the experience and knowledge he has gained throughout his long tenure is what makes him the best candidate for the job.

He noted his campaign slogan is, "Leadership. Integrity. Stability."

"I think we're facing very uncertain and difficult times in the law enforcement profession and in many other ways in our community and in our country, and I feel that my experience and my past track record is exactly what's needed right now," said Brown. "Someone who is seasoned, and someone who is able to deliver, and has proven they've been able to deliver as the sheriff and that's why I'm running for another four years."

During his remarks, Brown pointed out his campaign will focus on four key issues, maintaining an adequate number of patrol and custody deputies, putting greater emphasis on offender rehabilitation and recovery for county jail inmates, expanding collaborative efforts to keep mentally ill people out of the criminal justice system, and to do better job at tackling the ongoing opioid crisis.

"I'm excited about tackling those and I know with the help and the support of the men and women of the Sheriff's Office, we're going to get a lot done," said Brown.

Brown will face Lt. Juan Camarena, a 23-year veteran of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office. Camarena announced his intent to run for office last August.

"I'm going to be mounting a very strong campaign obviously to win re-election, and you've seen the support I was already able to get here today," said Brown. "I have over 1,000 endorsements already, the California Police Chiefs Association has already come out and endorsed me. I've got people from all sides of the aisle, the political spectrum, all walks of life. I'm just very humbled really by the number of people who have already come out and shown their strong support for my campaign."

The candidates will campaign over the next several weeks, with the Election Day set for June 7, 2022.