Lampert thankful for strong family, community support

The months of campaigning seemed to have paid off when the early results of the three-way race for sheriff in the primary were announced Tuesday evening.

“I felt pretty good, because most of the time when the early results come out, that kind of tells you the rest of the story,” Tim Lampert said.

But those numbers usually only tell about half the story. Despite his commanding lead, Lampert wasn’t counting his chickens.

“I felt pretty good with the the lead we had. But you just never know,” he said.

By the end of the night, the uncertified results showed Lampert had secured the Republican nomination with about 61 percent of the votes. Fellow member of the Dubois County Sheriff’s Office, Jesus Monarrez, garnered about 25 percent, and Indiana State Trooper Brian LaRoche had 14 percent.

Lampert said he respects the many years of service both officers have dedicated to the community.

“I greatly appreciate that,” he said. “I told them yesterday, regardless of who’s the winner, I want to sit down with them and hear what their ideas are.”

The victory marked the culmination of a grassroots campaign that included extensive door-to-door canvassing and an active social media presence. But really, it all came down to the extensive list of family and friends who helped along the way, including standing at polling locations throughout the day yesterday, even in the rain.

I want to thank all my family and friends for all their support, and the voters who believed in me, which led me to come out on top,” Lampert said. “We do have a lot of great people in the sheriff’s department, not only the sheriff’s department, just the community in general.”

With 35 years of law enforcement experience, Lampert currently serves as a school resource officer at Northeast Dubois County School Corporation. He said the position has given him valuable insight into the needs of the community’s youth.

“Being SRO really brought valuable experience to me as a police officer moving forward, and hopefully a leader for the sheriff’s department,” he said.

Leaving that role will be difficult, Lampert acknowledged.

“I love it,” he said. “No matter what kind of bad day you have when one of the kids come up and give you a hug or a fist bump, it makes you feel well, that you’re loved and needed.”

Looking ahead to his potential role as sheriff, Lampert emphasized his commitment to community engagement and to addressing issues such as mental health, addiction, and online safety for youth.

“I think it’s important we get the community’s input moving forward so we can take care of everybody,” he said. “I want to make sure my kids and my grandkids come back here and are proud to call Dubois County home.”

Lampert’s wife, Jenny, acknowledged the intensity of the race.

“I knew it was gonna be a tough road,” she said. “I had no idea it was gonna be what it was.”

Still, she said there’s relief in the primary victory, tempered by the reality that the general election remains ahead.

It’s unclear whether a Democratic, Libertarian or Independent candidate will file to run against Lampert in the general election. If unopposed, he will take office in January.

Until then, Lampert said he plans to continue his work as a school resource officer while preparing for the general election or his transition to that new role.

“I don’t want to let this community down. I don’t want to let my family and all my supporters down,” he said. “I’m going to do the best job I can, because we got a great community, and I want to make sure it stays that way.”

LaRoche and Monarrez both sent messages out last night after the results came out.

“While I am disappointed in the outcome of the election, I am not disappointed in my family, friends and voters who showed up and supported me. I am incredibly grateful for this community. We are incredibly blessed with some amazing people who serve Dubois County,” said LaRoche on his campaign Facebook Page. “Thank you for the messages of encouragement and the kind words of support.”

“Dubois County, thank you,” wrote Monarrez on his campaign page. “It didn’t go our way, but I can proudly say we ran a clean race and kept our integrity. I’m incredibly grateful for the support, encouragement, and kindness you showed throughout this journey. I love this community, and I will continue to give 110% in service to the people of Dubois County.”

Potential candidates in the Democratic Party or otherwise have until July to file to run against Lampert in the November Election.