McBride joins list of hopefuls for sheriff
An Elgin resident working in the Travis County sheriff ’s office is mounting a run to replace outgoing Bastrop County Sheriff Terry Pickering, making him the fourth Republican candidate to enter the field.
Steve J. McBride, a sergeant with Travis County, filed his campaign treasurer appointment paperwork with the Bastrop County elections office, which will allow him to begin raising funds for his run.
“I have seen some things in Bastrop County, in particular, that are disturbing to me,” McBride, 43, said in an interview. “And I think I can be the difference-maker.”
McBride pointed to a distrust of law enforcement across the country and locally as a motivating factor for seeking the sheriff post, specifically mentioning the recent mistrial of former sheriff ’s deputy Daniel Willis, who was charged with murder after he shot and killed an unarmed black woman during a domestic disturbance call in February 2014.
If elected, McBride said he would prioritize improving the office’s relationship with the community and focus on making its field officer training better.
“I think most citizens are law-abiding and agree with the work that police and sheriff ’s officers are doing. But it’s the small few that have the loudest voices,” McBride said. “I think we have some fence-mending to do.”
With 20 years of experience as a gospel evangelist, as a part of churches in both Manor and Elgin, McBride said he thinks he is the right person to engage with the community. “I believe in family and keeping my family safe and secure, and I would like to bring that to all the citizens of Bastrop County,” McBride said. “To make sure they are as secure as my family.”
A run for sheriff will be McBride’s first foray into politics. The fouryear Bastrop County resident joins fellow Republicans Lynn Boydston, John Helenberg and Dale Dockery, who recently indicated their intentions to run.
This year, Pickering announced he would not seek re-election, telling the American-Statesman in May: “When it’s not fun to come to work anymore, maybe it’s time to do something else.”
Candidates looking to be placed on the primary ballot for May 2016 can officially file between Nov. 14 and Dec. 14.