GOP candidate for sheriff receives official endorsement

WAER | By Robert Beck

Published February 10, 2026 at 1:20 PM EST

RJ Lenhart has been selected as the GOP candidate for Onondaga County Sheriff.

Republican Onondaga County Sheriff candidate RJ Lenhart has received the official endorsement from the County Republican Party.

He’s the only GOP candidate currently seeking the seat. Lenhart said he has 30 years of public safety experience from firefighter to law enforcement.

He’s a former undersheriff who currently serves as a Senior Investigator in the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office. Lenhart is hoping to unseat incumbent Democrat Toby Shelley in November.

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Robert Beck

Bob Beck, a veteran media professional, currently serves as a part-time editor/host at WAER Public Radio and an adjunct professor at Syracuse University. Beck retired as News Director at Wyoming Public Radio in 2022 after 34 years. During his time, Beck won 5 regional Edward R. Murrow awards and 5 Public Media Journalists Association awards for reporting. He also won 11 PMJA awards for the news and public affairs program Open Spaces. He was awarded the Wyoming School Bell award for education reporting and was part of two Emmy Award winning television productions. You can find him on X under the name @butterbob.

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