Barry County’s Republican Sheriff Dar Leaf, known as Michigan’s “constitutional sheriff,” won re-election in a landslide during the state’s primary election on Tuesday.
Leaf — known for his criticism of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s crushing pandemic edicts, investigation of the 2020 election, and support for Michigan militias — vanquished three Republican challengers on Tuesday when he received 8,492 votes, or about 58% of the total cast in rural Barry County, MLive reports.
No Democrats bothered to challenge Leaf in the general election, which means Leaf effectively won another four years in office on Tuesday.
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“The more educated I get … the more confident I get in my job,” Leaf told the news site in an interview ahead of the primary. “So when I see other governments kind of stepping over that line, I know to stand between that government and my people in my county, and I know my county really appreciates it.
“It was everything from COVID to even some of these gun laws. I’m not afraid to step in there and say, ‘hey, we not doing that in my county.’”
Leaf’s strict adherence to the constitution has repeatedly put him at odds with Democrats who gained a government trifecta in 2022 for the first time in 40 years, and he’s worked to ensure local residents understand their rights, particularly in regards to gun restrictions Whitmer signed into law last year.
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The gun control legislation, which went into effect in February, further restricted gun rights for individuals convicted of several types of non-violent misdemeanors, required background checks to hand down a hunting rifle to family members, made it easier for authorities to seize firearms from gun owners, and created new crimes for those who leave weapons “unattended.”
In response, Leaf offered a “militia course” for “potential jurors, homeschoolers, ladies & gentlemen” that offered to help them “learn a militiaman’s duty.”
Leaf has also drawn scorn from Democrats for appearing at a Michigan Patriots Rally in May 2020, and for his membership in the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, which is focused on upholding Americans’ constitutional rights in the face of government overreach.
Association founder Richard Mack describes Leaf as “mild mannered, but very humble and strong,” according to MLive, while left-wing groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center, Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, and American Oversight label him as “dangerous” and allege unsubstantiated links to white supremacist organizations.
“I really enjoy his company and appreciate his courage to stand for what he knows is right,” Mack told the news site.
Tuesday’s win proves folks in Barry County are on the same page.