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2026 Campaign Announcement

Timothy Forehand for Geneva County Sheriff

After much prayer, reflection, and heartfelt discussion with my family and community, I am honored to announce my candidacy for Geneva County Sheriff in the 2026 election. Serving the people of Geneva County has long been a calling placed on my heart, and I believe now more than ever that our county needs leadership rooted in faith, integrity, and service. 

The very foundation of my mission as a law enforcement officer stems from the truth found in Matthew 20:28 — “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” As your Sheriff, I intend to live by that example — to serve, protect, and uplift every citizen of Geneva County and our surrounding communities. My commitment is not only to uphold the law but to do so with compassion, fairness, and unwavering moral courage. 

Our county, like much of our nation, continues to face challenges: rising crime, drug dependency, and strained trust between citizens and law enforcement. These issues cannot be solved by policy alone — they require faith-driven leadership that leads by example, listens with humility, and unites rather than divides. I will work diligently to restore trust, promote transparency, and build stronger partnerships with our schools, churches, and civic organizations. 

The safety of our community remains my highest priority. I will focus on strengthening relationships between local departments, expanding resources for youth and family programs, and ensuring that our officers have the training and moral guidance needed to serve honorably. Geneva County deserves a Sheriff’s Office that reflects the values of faith, family, and service — one that stands firm against wrongdoing but also extends grace where it is due. 

As your Sheriff, I will lead with integrity and purpose. I will always remember that my badge is not a symbol of power — it is a symbol of responsibility, entrusted to me by the people I serve and by God Himself. 

I look forward to earning your trust, your prayers, and your vote in the 2026 primary election. Together, we can make Geneva County a safer, stronger, and more faithful community for generations to come.

For questions or community concerns you are welcome your contact me directly at (334) 447-1680. I believe open communication builds strong communities. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Timothy Forehand

I want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome David Hall on announcing his candidacy for Geneva County Sheriff.

Running for public office should never be about tearing others down — it’s about lifting our community up. I fully agree with the call for a campaign built on respect, honesty, and integrity, without mudslinging or personal attacks. The people of Geneva County deserve a race focused on ideas, leadership, and service, not division.

I look forward to a positive campaign where each of us can share our vision for making Geneva County safer, stronger, and more united — while addressing the issues we are facing in this county and country — and let the voters decide who best reflects their values. 

As always, I remain committed to leading with faith, fairness, and accountability. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support.

– Timothy Forehand

Closing the Revolving Door with Trade Skills  -        A Safer, Smarter Use of Your Tax Dollars

While I’m out meeting citizens across Geneva County, I’ll also use this space to share specific plans - not slogans. Here’s the first:

As Sheriff, I will partner with our local community colleges to teach in-demand trades inside the county jail - welding, HVAC, CDL, electrical, construction, heavy equipment, OSHA-10/30 - for people who qualify and are ready to change. It works, it cuts repeat crime, and it saves you money.

What the research shows (plain English):

• In-custody education/vocational training is linked to about 43% lower odds of returning to jail/prison and higher employment after release. Fewer new crimes, fewer victims. (RAND)
• Every $1 invested in correctional education saves $4–$5 in incarceration costs within three years - because fewer people cycle back through the jail. (U.S. DOJ summary of RAND)

Real-world examples:

• Pima County, AZ: After launching a jail re-entry/education center, they saw ≈158 fewer bookings per month and ≈$80,000/month saved in booking costs.
• Travis County, TX: The Sheriff’s Office and Austin Community College deliver career pathways inside the jail to connect people directly to jobs.
• Alabama model: J.F. Ingram State Technical College offers ~19 career fields for justice-involved students—proof we can align jail classrooms with real local jobs and credentials.

My plan for Geneva County:

1. Screen smart - eligibility based on behavior, readiness, and victim safety.
2. Teach real jobs - bring college instructors inside; focus on local employer needs. (Some groundwork is already underway.)
3. Hire before release - interviews/apprenticeships and work-readiness (IDs, résumé) lined up prior to release.
4. Track it publicly - quarterly report on certificates, 90-day job placements, and 12/24-month re-arrest rates vs. baseline so taxpayers see the return.

Bottom line: Smart on crime. Smart with your money. We can invest $1 where it saves $4–$5 and make our county safer.

I want your ideas too—message me, call me, or I’ll come to you.

Timothy Forehand

Today we pause to honor the men and women who raised their right hand, took an oath, and served our nation with courage and quiet strength. Our county is home to Veterans whose stories span generations and every branch of service. Your sacrifice, seen and unseen, has protected our freedoms, shaped our communities, and given our children a safer place to grow up.

To every Veteran: Thank You.

To the families who kept the porch light on, carried the load at home, and welcomed your loved ones back, sometimes changed, always cherished: Thank You.

To our Gold Star families who live with an empty chair and a full measure of love and pride, we hold you close in our hearts today.

Service doesn’t end when the uniform comes off. We see our Veterans coaching ball teams, leading churches and civic groups, running small businesses, teaching in classrooms, and checking on neighbors after a storm. That same spirit of duty continues to strengthen Geneva County. May we, as your friends and neighbors, earn the freedom you defended, by looking out for one another, lending a hand where it’s needed, and raising the next generation to understand that freedom has a cost that others have paid.

If you served, we would be honored if you’d share your branch, years of service, and (if you’re comfortable) a memory or a mentor’s name in the comments so our community can thank you by name. If you’re a family member, feel free to tag your Veteran so we can recognize them too.

On this Veterans Day, let our gratitude be more than words. Let it be respect in how we speak to one another, care in how we treat one another, and action in how we support those who served, especially those who are still carrying burdens we cannot see.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your service and your example. May God bless our Veterans and their families, and may God bless Geneva County.

– Timothy Forehand

Want a Yard Sign? We’ll Bring It to You.

I’m excited to share that our campaign yard signs have arrived.

If you’d like to show your support, just comment on this post or send us a message with your name, address, and contact number. We’ll personally deliver a sign to your home, business, or farm here in Geneva County.

Over the next several days, I’ll be posting more about what I hope to do as your next Sheriff, so keep an eye out for several detailed posts coming later this week.

We also have one MAJOR post coming soon that will explain how we plan to get our message out to everyone in Geneva County, whether they use social media or not.

Thank you for your support,

Timothy Forehand

Keeping Geneva County Pro-Second Amendment – and Pro-Training

Geneva County has a strong Second Amendment tradition, and Sheriff Tony Helms has been a big part of protecting it. I hope he sees this post and knows that, as a citizen of this county, I am truly thankful for the groundwork he laid and the rights he has defended. While this is a thank-you to him, it’s also a promise: when he retires, I intend to carry that torch forward and continue defending the Second Amendment for the people of Geneva County if I am elected. 

Sheriff Helms has been a clear, consistent supporter of law-abiding gun owners. He’s held classes that walk people through how to shoot and, just as important, when to shoot and when not to shoot. That kind of leadership matters, because the right to keep and bear arms comes with a responsibility to know the law, practice safe handling, and protect innocent life.

As I run to be your next Sheriff, I want to build on that foundation – not replace it.

I am firmly pro-Second Amendment. I believe good people should have the tools and training to defend themselves, their families, and their churches. But I also believe your Sheriff should be the best source of real-world education on:

• When Alabama law allows deadly force – and when it does not
   
• How to avoid ever having to press the trigger in the first place
   
• Safe storage around kids and grandkids
   
• What to expect if you do have to defend yourself
   

A few facts help explain why training – not more paperwork – is the smarter path:

• Guns are normal in Alabama homes. Estimates based on RAND data show that about 53% of Alabama households have at least one firearm, one of the highest rates in the country.
   
• Most gun owners are thinking about protection. A national Pew survey found 71% of gun owners say protection is a major reason they own a gun, and more than **80% say owning a gun makes them feel safer.
  
   
• Unintentional deaths are relatively rare – and have fallen. CDC-linked research shows unintentional firearm death rates in the U.S. dropped by about half between 1999 and 2018 (from ~0.29 to ~0.15 deaths per 100,000 people).
   
• But storage is still a problem. A national survey led by Johns Hopkins found that more than half of U.S. gun owners do not safely store all of their firearms (for example, locked and unloaded).
   

Taken together, that tells me this:

Guns are already here.
Good people own them for protection.
Most handle them safely – but too many homes still have guns stored in ways that put kids and teens at risk.
That’s where a Sheriff who teaches, not lectures, makes the difference.
 

If the voters of Geneva County trust me with this office, I will continue and expand the pro-gun, pro-training work Sheriff Helms has started:

• Regular “When You Can and Can’t Shoot” classes
  Open to the public, taught with local prosecutors and certified instructors, focused on Alabama use-of-force law, de-escalation, and what happens after a defensive shooting.
   
• Hands-on safety and marksmanship days
  Partnering with local ranges and instructors to help new and experienced gun owners sharpen skills, understand malfunctions, and practice safe handling.
   
• Safe-storage and kids-in-the-home workshops
  Family-focused events that go beyond slogans, showing practical ways to keep firearms accessible for defense while reducing the chance of a child finding a loaded gun. Community-based programs that combine education plus free or low-cost locks have been shown to significantly improve safe storage.
   
• Church and house-of-worship security training
  Working with pastors and church security teams on lawful armed protection, medical response, and coordination with the Sheriff’s Office.
   
• Clear protections for lawful gun owners
  If you act within the law to defend your family, your Sheriff should not treat you like the criminal. Our training will emphasize documentation, 911 communication, and how to interact with responding deputies.
   

My goal is simple:

Keep Geneva County a pro-gun county, and make it the safest, smartest-trained pro-gun county in Alabama.
 

If you support the Second Amendment and believe in responsible, real-world training, I’d be honored to earn your vote for Geneva County Sheriff.

— Timothy Forehand