Democratic candidate Tim Brown will become Montgomery County’s first African American sheriff, defeating Republican candidate and interim sheriff Robert Page in Tuesday’s midterm election.
Born and raised in Blacksburg, Brown served as a Christiansburg police lieutenant and is the son of former Blacksburg police chief and county board of supervisors member Bill Brown.
He campaigned on priorities including increasing transparency with the community, raising the department to a nationally recognized standard and providing further support for the development of his deputies. The last Democratic sheriff was Tommy Whitt, who served for 12 years before retiring in 2015.
“Tonight, I am incredibly humbled and honored to have earned the trust of the people of Montgomery County,” Brown said in a statement. “This victory is about more than winning an election. It’s about the opportunity to serve the community I love. I especially wish my dad could be here to share this moment. His example, his values and the lessons he taught me have shaped the man I am today. I know he would be proud, and I will carry his legacy with me every day as your sheriff. Thank you, Montgomery County. I promise to lead with integrity, compassion and a commitment to being a sheriff for us all.”
Brown, 50, has 26 years of law enforcement experience. His education includes graduating from Radford University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, the Professional Executive Leadership School at the University of Richmond and from the FBI National Academy.
On Election Day, Brown visited multiple polling locations across the county, including talking to people outside the Squires Student Center at Virginia Tech.
“Definitely stressed,” Brown said about his state of emotions on Election Day. “I really hope they’re [voters] informed and they take a good look at both of us and our platforms and make the best decisions for themselves.”
Page was named interim sheriff in April by former Sheriff Hank Partin, a Republican, who retired after 10 years in the job. The county has had a Republican sheriff since Partin began his first term in 2016.
Page started working for the sheriff’s office in 2013 as a corrections officer, according to his campaign website. He says his 13 years working across different divisions — including jail, civil, process, patrol, investigations and warrants — had prepared him to continue his role. In addition, Page worked full time for a U.S. Marshals fugitive task force for six years.
His priorities included maintaining public safety, providing mental health resources to deputies and improving jail rehabilitation opportunities for former inmates.
This included formalizing a care plan that meets the needs of officers experiencing unique levels of trauma, an effort he planned to add more attention to than his predecessor.
Brown faces an extensive process in order to bring the sheriff’s office to a nationally recognized standard.
The sheriff’s office has been accredited by the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission since 1993, according to the office’s website. A national accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies could take up to three years, Brown said in a previous interview.
As a master assessor for state accreditation, Brown added that this process would raise the office’s standards and put it in the company of other local agencies that are already nationally accredited.
Page’s decision last month to discontinue the use of Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras has been one of his most consequential ones during his short term as interim sheriff.
But in his statement announcing his decision, Page left open room for reconsideration of the use of the technology.
“This decision does not mean that the technology could never be reconsidered. If state/federal law and applicable policies provide stronger safeguards, clearer limitations, and greater accountability in the future, the sheriff’s office may evaluate the technology again through a transparent review process,” the statement said.
The technology has become a nationwide law enforcement tool for investigating crimes, but concerns over mass surveillance and inadequate regulation has grown alongside its use.
Adequately postmarked mail-in ballots will continue to be counted through Friday.
