The County Sheriff is the chief law enforcement official of the county and is responsible for ensuring that all local, state, and federal laws are followed.
A candidate for any County Office must be at least 18 years of age and a resident and voter in the electoral district which the candidate seeks to represent as of the date that the candidate files nomination petitions in the year of the election. A person may not be a candidate for election to the office of sheriff or serve as sheriff of any county in the State unless the candidate meets the following qualifications: A. The candidate swears to or affirms the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics; B. The candidate has never been convicted of a Class C or higher crime; C. The candidate applies to the Secretary of State for a criminal background investigation; D. The candidate submits written certification from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy that the candidate has: (1) Met the basic law enforcement training standards under Title 25, section 2804-C; or (2) Met the basic corrections training standards under Title 25, section 2804-D; and E. The candidate swears to or affirms that the candidate has at least 5 years of supervisory employment experience and submits the name, address and telephone number for the relevant employer or employers.