Ellis County Sheriffs and 08 Run-Off

April 8th we will have a Run-Off for Ellis County Sheriff. It will be between James Ledbetter and Johnny Brown. The primary results were Johnny Brown 4,652 James A. Ledbetter 3,812 Steve Mckinney 3,481. It's my understanding that since Johnny Brown did not recieve more than 50% of the vote he must have a run-off with the candidate with the second most votes. The Blog For Ellis County Texas History endorses candidate Johnny Brown. He is a younger candidate with creative ideas and has always voted Republican. Here's his Myspace. Though from what I understand we will be in good hands no matter what candidate wins. Ledbetter according to his Myspace page has ran two prior unsuccessful campaigns for Ellis County Sheriff. One against Sheriff Gage and one against current Sheriff Stewart. If you are a Brown supporter get out and vote April 8th because it appears Mckinney supporters lean towards Ledbetter. That's 3,481 potential votes for Ledbetter. The irony is even though Mckinney lost his voters will decide the winner.


Blog discussions of the April 8th run-off

Newspaper discussions of 08 run-off

Here are Ellis County's past Sheriff's


Ellis County Sheriffs


WILLIAM H. H. BRADFORD: elected August 5, 1850; resigned January 14, 1851.

HARVEY W. YOUNG; appointed February 7, 1851; elected August 2, 1851, and served until December 1852.

JONATHAN E. PRINCE: appointed December 31, 1852; elected August 7, 1854; served until August 4, 1856.

JAMES W. CARTNEY; elected August 4, 1856; resigned February 7, 1858.

JOHN G. WILLIAMS: appointed February 27, 1858; elected August 2, 1854; served until August 6, 1860

ALBERT A. FOSTER: elected August 6, 1860; resigned April 1861.

JOHN KING: appointed April 6, 1861 served until August 4, 1862.

M. B. LANKSFORD: elected August 4, 1862; re-elected August 1, 1864; served until August 31, 1865.

MATTNEW SKEIN: appointed August 31, 1865; served until June 25, 1866.

GEORGE B. SWEATT: elected June 25, 1866; resigned December 1866.

CHARLES FOSTER: appointed December 24, 1866; served until July 1867 when moved out of the county.

PETER W. WILLIAMS: appointed July 3, 1867; served until Sept. 16, 1869 when removed by order of Gen. J. J. Reynolds.

JAMES YARBOROUGH: appointed September 16, 1869 by Gen. Reynolds Special Order; did not qualify.

JOHN T. KING: elected December 3, 1869; served until February 17, 1870; may have been removed by military order.

C. K. GOODWYN: appointed February 17, 1870 by special order Gen. J. J. Reynolds; served until December 2, 1873.

JOHN T. KING: elected December 2, 1873; served until February 15, 1876; moved away for a time but returned and died near Britton.

W. D. "Wash" RYBURN: one of most colorful men elected; served February 15, 1876; re-elected November 5, 1878; November 2, 1880 and served until November 7, 1882; native of Kentucky and a veteran of the Civil War; ran for office again after turn of century, but lost.

JOHN BRALY: elected November 7, 1882; served until November 4, 1884; native of Arkansas and Civil War veteran.

W. P. WATT: elected November 6, 1888; re-elected November 4, 1890; served until November 8. 1892; native of Alabama.

JAMES M. MEREDITH: elected November 8, 1882; served until November 6, 1894; first native of county to hold office; died in Austin.

W. J. McCUE: elected November 6, 1894; re-elected November 3, 1896 and served until November 8, 1898; twice married; no known descendants; died near Henrietta, Texas.

GEORGE C. SWEATT: elected November 8, 1898; re-elected November 6, 1900; served until November 8, 1902.

JOE P. MINNICK: elected November 4, 1902; re-elected November 8, 1904 and served until November 6, 1906; was constable at Palmer prior to term as sheriff.

W. H. FORBES: elected November 6, 1906; re-elected November 3, 1908 and served until November 8, 1910; ran again in 1926 but was defeated by Joe Loe by only five votes.

A. W. WILSON: elected November 8, 1910; re-elected November 5, 1912; served until November 3, 1914.

HENRY DEARBORN: elected November 3, 1914; re-elected November 7, 1916; served until November 5, 1918 native of Missouri; twice married; was superintendent of Odd Fellows Old Folks Home at Ennis at one time.

GEORGE C. SWEATT: again elected November 5, 1918; re-elected November 2, 1920 and served until death February 4, 1921. Sweatt held many offices during his life, as well as his terms as sheriff.

W. H. FORBES: appointed February 26, 1921; elected a second time November 2, 1922 and served until January 1, 1925.

JOE LOE: elected November 4, 1924; re-elected November 2, 1926 and served until January 1, 1929.

JOHN DAVENPORT: elected November 6, 1928; re-elected November 4, 1930 and served' until January 1, 1933; native of Tennessee.

DAVE FEARIS: elected November 8, 1933; re-elected November 6, 1934 and served until January 1, 1937.

J. E. ROY: elected November 3, 1936; re-elected November 8, 1938 and served until January 1, 1941.

JESS L. CARIKER: elected November 5, 1940; re-elected November 3, 1942, November 7, 1944; November 5, 1946 and served until January 1, 1949. Served as president of the Texas Sheriff's Association in 1944.

EDWARD BURL WHITE: elected November 2, 1948; re-elected November 7, 1950; November 4, 1952, November 2, 1954 and served until January 1, 1956.

WAYNE McCOLLUM: elected November 6, 1956; re-elected November 8, 1960, November 3, 1964, November 5, 1968, November 7, 1972 and served until January 1, 1977. His twenty years of service is the longest in County history.

BARNEY BOYD: elected November 2, 1976; re-elected November 4, 1980; and November 6, 1984 and served until January 1, 1989.

JOHN GAGE: elected November 8, 1988; served until ? [was lawman for thirty-three years.]

NOTE: RAY STEWART is the present sheriff of Ellis County (2004).


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