Jon Day

Provide a short bio of yourself and tell us how you got into public service?

I grew up on a farm outside Anthony, New Mexico and graduated from Gadsden High School. I earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from New Mexico State University in 2003.

I joined the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department in 2001 as a volunteer reserve officer. In 2003 I was hired full-time and served 22 years, retiring honorably as Major — the highest rank achievable without appointment.

I am married with family roots in Doña Ana County. Public service has given me some of the greatest moments of my life. Growing up on a farm taught me the values of teamwork, integrity, and hard work — values I carried through my entire career serving this community.

What is one thing the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office is not doing well right now—and what is the first thing you would change?

The sheriff’s office is not responsive enough to community needs. From Chaparral to Hatch, residents tell me they rarely see deputies on the roadways or in their neighborhoods. I have seen deputies parked behind buildings or hidden in the desert instead of working.

Under my leadership that behavior ends immediately. Deputies will patrol neighborhoods, enforce traffic laws to reduce crashes, and follow up on every reported misdemeanor. The public will see a visible, active presence again.

What would your deputies do differently on the street under your leadership that the public would actually notice?

When you call for a deputy, they will respond — and they will do the job completely. That means a full investigation, a written report, and enforcement of the law no matter how small the crime.

Every call will get proper follow-through. The public will notice the difference right away.

How would you measure whether your department is succeeding—and what numbers would you make public?

I will use traditional performance metrics plus regular community surveys. All data will be released publicly every month through the media.

Transparency builds trust. The public deserves to see exactly how their sheriff’s office is performing.

We’re seeing more incidents involving young people and guns—what specifically would you change in how the sheriff’s office handles juveniles with firearms and what is the role of the office in relation to city and state police?

Juvenile firearm crimes have become an epidemic. Under my leadership the sheriff’s office will fully investigate every case and seek detention until trial. We will also trace how the juvenile obtained the firearm and hold any adult who violated the law fully accountable.

We will hold community education events and distribute materials on safe firearm storage to prevent these tragedies.

Crime has no boundaries, so law enforcement must work as one team. The sheriff’s office will collaborate closely with city and state police so criminals cannot escape justice by crossing jurisdictional lines.

In a field this large, why are you the one candidate who should consolidate the vote—and what makes you different from the others in the race?

I am the only candidate with deep, hands-on experience running the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office. I rose through every rank and served in every division. On day one I will hit the ground running with no learning curve.

Here are the results I delivered:

• Led the team that modernized the department’s policy manual for the first time in over 20 years.
• Led the team that earned national CALEA accreditation — making Doña Ana County the only accredited sheriff’s office in New Mexico.
• Upgraded body-worn cameras, evidence systems, and less-lethal equipment through multi-million-dollar contracts.
• Secured grants that reduced taxpayer costs while improving safety, including a major gun-violence reduction grant that partnered with La Casa, La Pinon, and county health services to mentor youth.
• Served 16 years on the Bomb Squad, including four years as team commander. Responded to the 2015 Las Cruces church bombings and taught post-blast investigations nationally for ATF.
• Served as the county’s first gang specialist and received an FBI award for helping dismantle Barrio Azteca operations in southern Doña Ana County.

No other candidate brings this level of operational knowledge, proven leadership, and proven results. I am ready on day one.