CINCINNATI — With Election Day near, the race for sheriff in one Ohio county is heating up. The former Hamilton County sheriff is trying to get his old job back and going up against his former employee to do it.

With weeks left until the election, Jim Neil is picking up where he left off months ago. He's trying to get his old job back.

“I’m focused on being the people's sheriff, not a political sheriff at all," said Neil. 

He was the Hamilton County sheriff for eight years until 2020. That’s when he said he lost his Democratic endorsement and lost the primary election to his former employee Charmaine McGuffey.

That same year, he gained two kids. He adopted two boys and said he’s been busy being a parent since. He said they are his reason to try to be sheriff again.

“I want the boys to have a safer future and Hamilton County, as you know, my campaign's all about public safety,” said Neil. 

So he switched parties and became a Republican running for sheriff.

“It doesn’t change who I am, I’m still there focused on providing quality service to the people because that’s what matters," said Neil. 

He’ll have to win the election against McGuffey, who’s now the Hamilton County sheriff, to get there.

He said he plans to do things differently should he get elected again starting with immigration.

“I will be working with immigrations and customs so when an immigrant is physically arrested for violating our laws in Ohio, I will notify ice so that they can conduct their investigations on the immigrant," said Neil. 

He said he also plans to bring back treatment and education programs he started in the jail and hire more staff.

“When I left in 2021, I was right sized in the jail, I was right sized in court services and I had enough deputies out on patrol covering the calls for service," said Neil, "So first and foremost, we need to start recruiting and in hiring, hiring hard, and then to get back with my partners because it does work," he said.

He has to get votes first and he’ll be trying until Election Day.