Troy Bevier, Michael Breznik appear on ballots in rematch for Lenawee County sheriff

ADRIAN — A rematch of the 2020 Republican Party primary for Lenawee County sheriff is on ballots this year.

Incumbent Sheriff Troy Bevier is seeking reelection to a second full term. Michael Breznik, a former Wayne County Sheriff's Office deputy who lives in Cambridge Township, filed for the Republican primary, setting up a rematch of the 2020 primary when Bevier prevailed with 72% of the vote.

No Democrats filed for the position.

The Daily Telegram emailed questionnaires to the candidates, and the responses are printed as provided, though they may have been edited for clarity or truncated if the answers exceeded the given word limits.

Breznik did not return his questionnaire, and the Telegram left a voicemail for him on the phone number he provided to the Lenawee County Clerk's Office in his candidacy paperwork to find out if he received the questionnaire. That voicemail also was not answered.

In-person voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6. Early voting for all precincts except Fairfield Township will run from July 27 to Aug. 4, including weekends, at the Human Services Building, 1040 S. Winter St. in Adrian. Those hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fairfield Township's early voting will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 27 to Aug. 4, including weekends, at the township office, 1023 Pine St. in Jasper. Absentee ballots are available from township and city clerk's offices.

Troy Bevier

Age: 62

Occupation: Sheriff

Spouse/kids: Wife, Sally Bevier; two grown sons, Kyle and Tyler Bevier

Government experience: I have over 38 years of county government experience, the last five years as the Lenawee County sheriff, two years as undersheriff, four years as deputy director of information technology, 25 years with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office as a deputy sheriff, detective, sergeant and retired as a lieutenant; 25 years as a supervisor; 34 years as a certified police officer.

Volunteer/community service experience: I volunteer on the board of directors with TLC Community Credit Union (eight years), Kiwanis Club of Adrian (five years) and Lenawee Humane Society steering committee (four years).

Why are you running for this position? I am running for reelection as sheriff to further serve our community. I have assembled an outstanding team, and together we have worked with stakeholders to better tackle issues such as substance abuse, human trafficking, mental health disorders and medically assisted treatment in the jail to name a few. (Editor’s note: answer truncated.)

What do you think is the main challenge facing the sheriff's office, and what should be done be done about it? As your sheriff, one of the biggest challenges we face is recruiting and retaining good, qualified employees. Since 2019, we have seen a steady decline in persons wanting to be a deputy sheriff, corrections officer and 911 dispatcher. Since I took over as sheriff in May 2019, there has been nearly a 60% turnover, many retiring, some changing careers and as of late, many moving on to become police officers at other agencies. This is not unique to Lenawee County, however, because we are competing with so many public safety agencies we must prioritize hiring/training and providing an excellent experience.  (Editor’s note: answer truncated.)

Why should people vote for you? I ask for your vote on Aug. 6 so that I can finish the work that was started. Mental health disorders must be addressed both in the community and in our jail, and I have a plan to work with Community Mental Health to do this. I will continue to ensure that we follow our RISE (Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence) values that I helped establish. I will continue to work with the community by being transparent, responsive and approachable. I will work hard to provide the best service and protect your rights. Thank you, Lenawee County, for supporting our staff.

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Michael Breznik

In a story in The Daily Telegram before the 2020 primary , Breznik, 47, said he operates several businesses involving real estate and that there is an advantage to a business-minded individual with a love for policing in the sheriff’s office.

Breznik began his law enforcement career in 2004 as a community service officer in Waukegan, Illinois. From 2007 to 2014 he was a deputy for the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office before he resigned to focus on his businesses.

— Contact reporter David Panian at dpanian@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @lenaweepanian .

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Troy Bevier, Michael Breznik appear on ballots in rematch for Lenawee County sheriff