2nd Will County Sheriff Candidate Emerges For 2026 Democratic Primary

JOLIET — It has been about 18 months since Dan Jungles, the chief deputy sheriff under three-term Will County Sheriff Mike Kelley, announced his candidacy to become the next sheriff of Will County, but now there will be at least one opponent for Jungles when the 2026 Democratic primary takes place.

Kelley, as many already know, has made it clear that this is his final four-year term of office.

A short YouTube video has been posted by the Friends to Elect Patrick Jones as the Will County Sheriff. Jones will also be running for the Democratic nomination.

"I currently have 24 years of experience between the jail and being a police officer with the Will County Sheriff Office," Jones announced in his introductory YouTube video that you can watch at the bottom of this story. "I hold the rank of sergeant, patrol division, right now. The reason for me running is that I believe that the squad car has become a barrier to the community, and we need more interaction with the community. I want to build trust through transparency."

The YouTube candidate announcement for Patrick Jones advises everyone that for more information about Patrick's policies, please visit www.patrickjonesforsheriff.com

In August 2023, Joliet Patch reported that Dan Jungles, the chief deputy of criminal investigations at the Will County Sheriff's Office under three-term Sheriff Mike Kelley, announced that he intends to be the Democratic Party candidate in the 2026 elections to replace Kelley.

Jungles said he has been on the sheriff's department since 1999. He grew up Homer Township and attended Lockport schools. Nowadays, he lives in Channahon. Jungles has climbed the ranks of the sheriff's office over the years, serving as a sergeant and lieutenant before being appointed as the chief deputy in 2017.

In 2023, Jungles said he decided to announce his candidacy for Will County Sheriff this early because he was stepping down as the chairman of the Will-Grundy Major Crimes Task Force. Jungles recently completed training at the FBI National Academy.