Tom Sissom, a retired Murfreesboro Police Department lieutenant, announced his candidacy for Rutherford County Sheriff on Monday. Sissom, who has served 34 years with the Murfreesboro Police Department, will be on the Republican ballot in this May’s primary, according to a press release by his campaign.
Sissom is running to unseat current Rutherford County Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh, a Republican, who announced his reelection campaign in September and has worked for the Rutherford County Sheriff’s office for 24 years. The Rutherford County Republican Primary Early Voting period for Sheriff is April 13-28 and Election Day is May 3, 2022.
“I’m the least political and the youngest Republican candidate for sheriff. I strongly believe there needs to be a new sheriff in town, and I’m ready to serve,” Sissom recently stated, according to the press release.
As laid out in the press release, Tom’s accomplishments include “rising from patrol officer to lieutenant and overseeing dozens of fellow officers, submitting budget proposals, coordinating with local government officials for various initiatives, working within the community to improve citizen-police relations,” and making the community a “safer place.”
Tom Sissom is “confident that he has the temperament, training and experience to correct and improve the Sheriff’s office at every level” as it has been “plagued by numerous scandals and lawsuits in recent years,” according to the press release.
“I am a Middle Tennessee native and was raised working on our family farm. I came to MTSU in the mid-’80s and decided to make Rutherford County my home because I love the people and the region,” Sissom said in a statement. “Every citizen should feel safe in their neighborhoods, schools, churches, and businesses. One of the best ways to achieve public safety is to ensure that every deputy and employee at the Sheriff’s office and jail is properly paid, trained and fully supported — that will be job number one for me and my administration.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Tom Sissom” by Sissom for Sheriff and photo “Murfreesboro TN Police Department” by Murfreesboro TN Police Department.
