John A. "Jack" Kemler
Democratic · NJ · Mercer County Sheriff
Sheriff since 2010 and a 40-year law enforcement veteran who began as a Trenton police officer and later served as Chief Sheriff Officer and Undersheriff. His office runs crime-prevention education and prescription drug take-back programs.
Where John A. "Jack" Kemler stands, based on their records
Supports
Immigration (1 record), Public Safety and Crime Control (4 records), Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties (2 records)
Track record
Track record — Immigration
Immigration · 1 support
Issued an office order on 2019-03-06 limiting his officers' help to federal immigration agents, following the state's Immigrant Trust Directive. It bars holding people past release on an ICE detainer request alone, except in serious-offense cases, and bars 287(g) immigration agreements without the Attorney General's approval.
March 6, 2019Supports Immigration
Source: mercercounty.org
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 4 support
Suspended a sheriff's officer without pay after the officer was arrested in February 2023 on charges of putting a gun in his partner's mouth and threatening to kill her. Kemler said the office had no tolerance for such dangerous behavior.
March 1, 2023Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: yahoo.com
Pushed for his office to buy an armored vehicle, saying it would be used only for dangerous cases like snipers or hostage standoffs. County freeholders approved the roughly $310,000 purchase 4-2 on 2019-09-12 over objections from more than 20 public speakers.
September 12, 2019Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: towntopics.com
Accepted the NJ Child Support Council's 2016 "Sheriff's Office of the Year" award for his office on 2017-03-03, after his child support team served 92 percent of its warrants in 2016.
March 3, 2017Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: planetprinceton.com
Led a three-day child support sweep in July 2015 in which his officers and partner agencies arrested 107 parents who had dodged court-ordered payments, one of the highest county totals in the state.
July 28, 2015Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: planetprinceton.com
Track record — Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties · 2 support
Signed a Mercer County Police Chiefs Association letter calling the restraint used on George Floyd "inexcusable" and backing community meetings with police, published 2020-06-09.
June 9, 2020Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: planetprinceton.com
Issued an office order on 2019-03-06 limiting his officers' help to federal immigration agents, following the state's Immigrant Trust Directive. It bars holding people past release on an ICE detainer request alone, except in serious-offense cases, and bars 287(g) immigration agreements without the Attorney General's approval.
March 6, 2019Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: mercercounty.org
Track record — General
General · 14 records
Endorsed Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson in the 2026 Democratic primary for Congress.
February 2, 2026
Source: newjerseyglobe.com
Filed his office's 2025 internal affairs report on 2026-01-02. It listed 15 officers named in closed complaints, none for excessive force, and 2 officers suspended without pay.
January 2, 2026
Source: mercercounty.org
Endorsed U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill for governor of New Jersey on 2024-12-30, as part of a group of Mercer County Democratic leaders.
December 30, 2024
Source: insidernj.com
Won a fifth term as Mercer County Sheriff on 2023-11-07 with 48,091 votes (69.6 percent), beating Republican Bucky Boccanfuso (19,420) and Drew Cifrodelli (1,637), per the county's official results.
November 7, 2023
Source: mercercounty.org
Endorsed Assemblyman Dan Benson in his 2023 run for Mercer County Executive against the sitting county executive, Brian Hughes, on 2022-12-14.
December 14, 2022
Source: newjerseyglobe.com
Endorsed U.S. Rep. Andy Kim for re-election to Congress on 2022-11-03, praising his willingness to work across party lines on public safety.
November 3, 2022
Source: insidernj.com
Won re-election as Mercer County Sheriff on 2020-11-03, beating Republican Bucky Boccanfuso with more than 70 percent of the vote.
November 3, 2020
Source: planetprinceton.com
Received the endorsement of the State Troopers Fraternal Association, the New Jersey state troopers' union, for his 2020 re-election as sheriff.
October 14, 2020
Source: newjerseyglobe.com
Received the endorsement of AFSCME New Jersey Council 63, a public employees union, for his 2020 re-election as sheriff on 2020-09-29.
September 29, 2020
Source: insidernj.com
Endorsed Janice Mironov for re-election as Mercer County Democratic chair in July 2020, joining a list of backers she sent to party leaders.
July 13, 2020
Source: newjerseyglobe.com
Had all claims against him dismissed with prejudice by a federal judge on 2020-04-08 in a civil rights suit by a Trenton family over a 2015 home entry by his officers seeking a wanted man. A claim that the county failed to train officers went forward against the county.
April 8, 2020
Source: storage.courtlistener.com
Won re-election as Mercer County Sheriff on 2017-11-07 with about 70 percent of the vote.
November 7, 2017
Source: insidernj.com
Collected an $84,831 yearly public pension as a retired sheriff's office employee while also paid a $148,199 sheriff's salary, according to a 2016 NJ Spotlight list of 16 New Jersey sheriffs drawing both.
September 19, 2016
Source: njspotlightnews.org
Appointed Sgt. James Freeman as undersheriff and promoted two other officers inside the sheriff's office on 2013-07-03.
July 3, 2013
Source: patch.com
Past race John A. "Jack" Kemler ran in:
- Mercer County Sheriff · November 3, 2026 · Mercer County, New Jersey · incumbent