Stephen Young of Hopkins, chairman of the Allegan County Tea Party, is running for Allegan County Sheriff on the U.S. Taxpayer Party ticket.
He is challenging Republican Frank Baker, who otherwise is unopposed on the ballot. Both seek to succeed Blain Koops, who is retiring after 12 years.
Young, on his Facebook page, made the following statement:
“The county sheriff is elected by, for, and of the people of a county and is our last line of defense against an oppressive and over-reaching government and tyranny.
“The sheriff is a powerful executor of the law, and the supreme law of the land is the Constitution.
“A sheriff has the power, the authority, and the responsibility to resist tyranny and unconstitutional laws and actions.
“Our founders understood that liberty was our most important asset to defend.
“Samuel Adams said, ‘The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are worth defending against all hazards: And it is our duty to defend them against all attacks.’
“A New American magazine article, ‘Sheriffs Oppose Encroachment of Federal Agents Into Their
Jurisdictions”, stated: There are dozens of candidates for sheriff nationwide who share the view on the supremacy of state government and the constitutional locus of police power. These lawmen read the Constitution and nowhere in it do they find authorization for the federalization of law enforcement. In fact, they argue, the Constitution’s federal system endows local police with greater authority than any federal agent when it comes to enforcing the laws in their counties.
“The sheriff is the chief law enforcement authority in the county, and he is elected by the ultimate power source, We The People.
“With all three branches of the federal government, as well as appointed departments and officials often choosing to ignore the Constitution of the United States of America and the Constitution of the State of Michigan, the time has come for Allegan County to elect a sheriff who will defend the supreme law of this state and this nation.
“It is time for us to elect a county sheriff who will walk tall and defend the citizens of this great county from all enemies of our Constitution and of our Bill of Rights.
“The future of our constitutional Republic may depend on it.
“This is why I am running for Sheriff of Allegan County, Michigan, as a U.S. Taxpayers Party candidate.”