There may be just 35 days until the country’s midterm election, but Belmont County Sheriff James Zusack wants Belmont County voters to know now that he will be running for re-election in 2028.
Zusack will celebrate his 35th anniversary with the Sheriff’s Office in mid-November, and the Republican’s first day in charge was January 6, 2025, after running unopposed. Zusack decided to announce his intentions now to squelch rumors and end speculation.
“I’m going to run again for next term in 2028,” Zusack announced during the “Novotney Now” radio program on River Talk. “There’s much more that I want to do as Sheriff, and I’m going to need more time to do it. I want to keep doing what I’m doing because I want to protect the people of Belmont County.
“That’s why I got into this profession back in 1991,” he said. “That’s my decision. I’m going to run again in 2028.”
Zusack was a college student when first hired as a summer employee by Sheriff Tom McCort in 1989, and then he joined as a full-time jailer in 1991. Since then, Zusack has been on patrol, a Patrol-Sergeant, in charge of sex offender registration enforcement, a member of the Special Operations Branch (or S.W.A.T.) team, and chief deputy to former sheriff Dave Lucas for nearly 10 years before he was elected as sheriff.
“This job is very humbling,” Zusack said. “I’m responsible for everything, and I like that in a sense because I know I listen a lot before I make decisions that impact our people. I don’t want people who just say ‘Yes’ all of the time because I want to hear opinions before I make the final call.
“One thing I wanted to accomplish as sheriff was getting everyone in our office on the same page, and that’s where we are now,” he said. “Everyone’s number one goal is the same, keeping the people in Belmont County as safe as possible on our roads and in all of our communities, and that’s why I’ve decided to run again in 2028 for another term.”
Team Leader
Zusack proclaimed several goals when he was running for his first term as Belmont County’s sheriff. One was to fully support the detectives investigating the double homicide involving Angela and Thomas Strussion, and another was to open communication within the office so each member felt as if their thoughts were heard before big decisions are made at the top.
Well, Oklahoma native Andrew Griffin was charged with the murders, arrested in Hawaii, and extradited to Belmont County in Spring 2025, and the trial is scheduled to begin on October 19th with Common Pleas Court Judge Chris Berhalter presiding.
And Zusack celebrates his staff members and often recognizes their accomplishments with posts on social media.
“If our people deserve to be recognized, then I believe they should be recognized. It lets them know we see the great work they’re doing and we appreciate it, and it’s positive motivation, too,” Zusack said. “You can’t beat it. There’s a lot of discipline in this job, so when one of our folks gets recognized, it makes it all worth it, and it motivates them to continue their progress in the profession.
“Every position we have within our office is vital to what we work to do on a daily basis,” the sheriff insisted. “We have a good team here, and now that I’ve been in this position going on two years, I believe we have everything working very, very well.”
So, two years and a little more than a month early, Sheriff Zusack is letting Belmont County residents know now that his name will appear on the ballot again in 2028.
“I’m announcing now because I want to let the people know that’s my intention. That way, no one has to guess or speculate,” he explained. “I want to be there for the people of the county, and I’ll do my best to get re-elected.
“I have been asked by some people recently if I was planning to run again,” Zusack said with a smile. “So, this is my way of letting everyone know that I most definitely want to continue in this position. I’ve worn this badge for almost 35 years, and I like being able to sleep at night knowing our people are safe out there.”
