Marc Bell drops out of sheriff’s race

The only Democrat whose name will be on the March 17 primary ballot for Sangamon County sheriff decided Feb. 9 to withdraw from the race.

Springfield resident Marc Bell, the lone Democrat on the ballot, posted on his campaign’s Facebook page that a lack of financial support from the Democratic Party was the reason for his decision.

“My candidacy was contingent on the full support of the Sangamon County Democratic Party to secure an experienced and knowledgeable campaign management team to put us in the best possible position to win this challenging race,” Bell wrote. “The party is unwilling to provide those crucial resources.”

Bell didn’t immediately respond to a phone message from Illinois Times.

The newspaper left a message with Dan Kovats, vice chairperson of the Sangamon County Democratic Party, requesting a phone interview. Kovats responded with an email that didn’t address Bell’s comment about a lack of financial support.

“Earlier today, the Sangamon County Democratic Party was informed that Marc Bell would be ending his campaign for Sangamon County sheriff,” Kovats’ email said. “While we are disappointed by Marc’s decision, we remain ready to aggressively support our candidates as they work to move our community forward. We will immediately begin searching for a new candidate to run and we look forward to working hard to elect that person in November.”

Ballots for the primary already have been printed, but any votes cast for Bell won’t be counted, Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray said.

The local Democratic Party, through a vote of precinct committeepersons, still can select a Democratic nominee for the Nov. 3 general election by June 1, Gray said.

Bell, 62, is a retired Illinois State Police master sergeant who ran unsuccessfully for state representative in the November 2018 race won by Republican Mike Murphy.

“When I entered this race,” Bell wrote in his Facebook post, “I wanted to bring experienced leadership, restore trust in public safety, and provide a new direction for law enforcement and public safety, which I believe our community so desperately deserves. And I believed that this election cycle presented a unique opportunity for that change to happen.

“Although I am ending this campaign, my commitment to this community remains unchanged,” Bell said. “I dedicated over 40 years of my life to serving and protecting the communities of Illinois. I will continue to serve, contribute, and work toward a safer and stronger Sangamon County.”

On the Republican side, current Sheriff Paula Crouch, 52, appointed by the Sangamon County Board in September 2024, is running against retired sheriff’s deputy David Timm, 51, for the GOP nomination.

Crouch’s appointment was triggered by the resignation of former sheriff Jack Campbell.

Campbell said on Aug. 9, 2024, that he decided to retire before his four-year term was up in 2026 because of the stresses affecting the community, his family and his deputies in the wake of the July 2024 fatal shooting of Sonya Massey in her Woodside Township home by former sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson.

There were calls for Campbell’s resignation amid criticism that Campbell had either overlooked or failed to uncover troubling conduct by Grayson when employed by other central Illinois police agencies before Campbell hired him in 2023.

Crouch and Timm’s campaign committees filed reports with the Illinois State Board of Elections showing Crouch with $32,252 and Timm with $62,025 at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025. Bell’s committee reported $9,385 at the end of the reporting period.

Crouch declined comment on Bell’s decision to withdraw when contacted by Illinois Times.

Timm said Bell’s decision was “unfortunate.” Timm added, “I want everybody’s support … regardless of what letter is next to their name. I’m willing to work with anyone to make a difference.”

Based on recent history, the winner of the GOP primary could have an edge in November. A Democrat hasn’t been elected sheriff in Sangamon County since Martin Gutschenritter in 1974.