Montgomery County voters are set to choose a new sheriff on August 6, 2026, and one issue is already separating the contenders more than most: whether to bring back the county's public booking log. At an April 28 Downtown Kiwanis Club forum, the three candidates laid out sharply different ideas about how the sheriff's office should juggle transparency and personal privacy.
Republican Mike Oliver told the crowd he wants the booking log restored, calling it "public information" and an "informative tool" created by the sheriff's office. The two independents, Dexter Mines and Johnny Ransdell, argued for tighter limits or a different system altogether. Mines warned that putting mugshots online can "do real harm" when charges are later dropped, while Ransdell floated a conviction-only log that would show photos only after a court conviction, as reported by NewsChannel 5.
The public booking site came down in March 2023, when outgoing Sheriff John Fuson pulled it from the web, a move that immediately sparked local controversy. Fuson said a family situation helped drive the decision. That choice, and the broader fight it kicked off over public shaming and due process, still shapes how many residents think about whether the county should again post arrest photos online, according to Clarksville Now.
Why candidates disagree
The divide follows a familiar script. Oliver frames the booking log as a basic transparency tool that keeps the public informed. Mines and Ransdell, however, focus on the long shadow a single mugshot can cast, especially when a case never results in a conviction.
Ransdell pointed to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation data that logged 419 so-called "sober DUI" arrests in 2024 as an example of how arrest lists can mislead the public, since the label suggests something it does not always prove. He cited that statistic as a reason to be cautious about how booking information is released, according to reporting by WSMV Action News 5.
Public records and requests
Pulling the online mugshot gallery did not erase the underlying booking records. Under Tennessee law, those photos and arrest details are still public documents that anyone can request through the proper channels. The Montgomery County Sheriff's detention pages spell out how to submit records requests and list contact information for the detention office, according to Montgomery County.
What voters should know
On immigration enforcement, the three candidates landed in the same place. Each said the sheriff's office would cooperate with federal immigration authorities when requested, but would not go looking for people on its own, a stance described from the Kiwanis forum by Clarksville Now.
Oliver is the only contender running with a party label in the May primary. If the primary shakes out as expected, all three candidates will still appear on the ballot for the county general election on August 6.
Official early-voting schedules, sample ballots, and legal notices for the May 5 primary and the August 6 county general are available on the Montgomery County Election Commission pages of the county website. Voters can find the latest polling locations and hours there before heading to the polls.
