The race for Jim Arnott's successor as Greene County Sheriff in November looks to be fairly uneventful. When the final certification date passed Tuesday, Aug. 25, Interim Sheriff Jason Johnson was the only one to file in the race, having received the nomination from the Greene County Republican Central Committee.
Arnott was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Missouri in early August, months after receiving a nomination for the role from President Donald Trump. Last week, the Greene County Commission officially accepted Arnott's resignation and appointed Johnson as the interim sheriff. Johnson was the only one to apply for the interim role.
Because Arnott's confirmation came after the August primary
election but prior to the final certification date for the November election, each political party's county central committee was asked to select a candidate to represent them. Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller said Johnson was the only one to be nominated and file for the election by 5 p.m. Tuesday, meaning he is likely to run unopposed come Nov. 3.
Schoeller told the News-Leader that the deadline to submit signatures for independent candidates is Tuesday, Sept. 1. While it is possible a candidate joins the race in the next week, the clerk said he hasn't heard of anyone planning to do so. He said he understands Democratic and Libertarian central committees do not plan to nominate anyone but would have until Sept. 1 to do so as well.
Johnson has served as the Greene County Sheriff's Office administrative captain since late 2024. However, he has been with the department in different capacities since 1998. According to previous News-Leader reporting, among Johnson's top priorities for the sheriff's office are body-worn cameras, something he has been researching in his role as captain and hopes to explore further as sheriff.
The person elected in November will serve the remainder of Arnott's term, through the end of 2028. Arnott was first elected in 2008, though he only faced a challenger in the race for his first and most recent fifth term.
While Johnson is unlikely to face any competition on the November ballot, since applying for the interim role, he has already raked in more than $100,000 in campaign contributions. Top contributors include the Greene County Sheriff PAC; Warren Davis, owner of Warren Davis Properties; Gerald Cook and Loren Cook, of Loren Cook Company; and Chad Schuchmann, a rancher and owner of now-defunct Schuchmann Meat Company.
Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at mmieze@news-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Interim Greene County sheriff likely will run unopposed in November
