Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters speaks with Jacksonville Today on Thursday, July 9, 2026. | Dan Scanlan, Jacksonville Today
Published on October 2, 2026 at 11:54 am
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Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters has filed paperwork to seek reelection, according to documents obtained by News4Jax and submitted to the Duval County Supervisor of Elections on Thursday.
The document confirms that Waters is seeking another term as Jacksonville sheriff.
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“Four years ago, I asked Jacksonville to trust me to keep our city safe, and we’ve delivered,” Waters said in a statement. “We’ve achieved historic reductions in murders and gang-related violence, and crime is at record lows. We’ve invested in our agency, boosted officer morale and put transparency and community engagement at the forefront of everything we do.
“I love this city, serving it alongside the men and women of JSO is the honor of my life — and I’m not done. I’m proud to officially file for reelection because we’ve built something that works, and it’s time to finish the job.”
Waters first won the office in 2022 during a special election called after former Sheriff Mike Williams resigned. Waters finished first in the initial five-way election in August but did not receive more than 50% of the vote, sending him to a runoff against Lakesha Burton.
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In the runoff on Nov. 8, 2022, Waters defeated Burton with 55% of the vote.
Before becoming sheriff, Waters served as the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office chief of investigations. He announced plans to retire from the agency in 2022 and said he would run in the special election.
READ MORE: Q&A | Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters discusses the jail, police shootings and more
During an interview in January with News4Jax, Waters confirmed he would seek reelection and said he had no interest in pursuing another office. He pointed to community engagement and what he described as a decline in crime during his tenure.
Waters also discussed officer-involved shootings, saying officers had faced armed suspects and acted in self-defense. He said officers are trained to deescalate situations when possible, including through mental health and crisis-response programs.
The sheriff also expressed support for allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to cover their faces during operations, citing concerns about the safety of officers and their families.
The sheriff’s election is March 9, 2027. It’s unclear who will run against Waters at this time.
This story was produced by News4Jax, a Jacksonville Today news partner.
