The Jefferson County Republican Party held a rally on Sunday in Gardendale to urge voters to come out and vote for Republican nominee Jared Hudson for Sheriff of Jefferson County. Hudson is challenging Democratic incumbent Mark Pettway in Tuesday’s general election.
Jefferson County Republican Party Chairman former State Rep. Paul DeMarco of Homewood praised Hudson.
“He is going to put public safety first,” DeMarco said. “He is going to put victims first. He is not going to put politics first.”
Hudson said that Jefferson County is experiencing higher than the national average violent crime as well as higher than the national average rates of property crime.
“We have two choices: one, leave Jefferson County, or two, we stand up, lock down, and fight for Jefferson County,” Hudson said.
Hudson is a veteran who served as a U.S. Navy SEAL Operator who was deployed multiple times to a variety of combat zones in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Foal Eagle, and other critical missions. He has received multiple Navy, Marine Corps, and Army commendation medals for valor and multiple Navy, Marine Corps, and Army achievement medals.
Since 2013, Hudson served as a law enforcement officer, acting as a deputy for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, serving as a Reserve Deputy for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, supporting special operations units, and working as an Investigator for the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office. Hudson is an Alabama Peace Officer Standard Training Commission (APOSTC) certified Law Enforcement Agent and a certified National Wildlife Control Operator Administration Level 1, 2, and 3 Sharpshooter, in addition to holding other advanced law enforcement certifications.
Hudson is the CEO of The Shooting Institute, which he owns and founded. Through The Shooting Institute, Hudson has personally trained local law enforcement, military personnel, and civilians in self-defense.
Hudson has a Master of Business Administration degree from Liberty University.
Hudson said, “Frederick Douglas said that there are three and only three ways, to reform our government: the voting box, the jury box, and the cartridge/ammo box.”
“We are brothers and sisters in Christ,” Hudson continued. “I ask that you accept Jesus Christ as your savior. That is what we need in this county, in this state, and this nation.”
“I feel called by God to do this,” Hudson said. “I have a wife and three daughters, and this is our home. If you don’t get out and vote, your kids will be left with the cartridge box, and I have fought wars all over the globe, and you don’t want that for your kids. I don’t want that for my kids. We will change this county for the better and make it a far better county, not just for my family but your family as well,” Hudson said.
“We are going to take back the Sheriff’s office,” DeMarco said.
“You are the backbone of the party because you are here and you care,” said Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl. “Bad policies have real-world prices. Look at gas prices. Look at the rising cost of living.”
State Rep. Allen Treadaway said, “Democrats’ policies have been to defund the police and so demonize law enforcement, making it impossible to recruit and retain officers.”
Treadaway said that the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office is down 300 officers from four years earlier.
“We have got to win this election on Tuesday,” DeMarco said.
Pettway has served as a law enforcement officer for over 27 years. In 2018, he became the first African-American elected as Sheriff of Jefferson County. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Faulkner University.
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