Retired trooper enters race for Saratoga County sheriff

PHOTOGRAPHER: Stephen Williams

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Retired state trooper Jeff Gildersleeve of Ballston Lake has announced he’s running for Saratoga County sheriff.

He becomes the third Republican to enter the contest to replace longtime Sheriff James D. Bowen, a Republican who isn’t running for re-election in November.

Gildersleeve on Monday picked up the backing of the Saratoga Springs Republican Committee, in what committee members said was a close vote over former sheriff’s investigator Michael Zurlo.

Gildersleeve has also been endorsed by the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, the state affiliate of the National Rifle Association. The association said it based its endorsement on his work as a firearms instructor.

The other Republican candidates in the race are Zurlo, a former Stillwater town justice who is retired from the Sheriff’s Department, and Jack Sadousky of Greenfield, a retired state park police officer.

Gildersleeve, a former U.S. Marine, served 26 years in the state police, and most recently has been a drug crime team leader and tactical team trainer with the Warren County Sheriff’s Department.

“I’m driven by a desire to smartly manage our law enforcement resources, as well as protect and serve the residents of our great county at a high level,” he said.

During his state police career, Gildersleeve rose through the ranks from trooper to senior investigator, retiring in 2007. He has lived in Saratoga County for 23 years, and he and his wife raised two children here.

Bowen is retiring after 41 years as sheriff, making him the longest-tenured county sheriff currently serving in New York state.

County Democrats have yet to announce a candidate, but Phil Lindsey of Moreau has been endorsed by the county’s Conservative Party and will run on that line in the fall. He is a former Glens Falls police officer.

The sheriff’s term is for four years, with a current annual salary of $113,305.