Bryan L. Hart, the retired Director of the Illinois Secretary of State (SOS) Police, is running unopposed for Edwards County Sheriff in the upcoming Republican primary election this March. Current Sheriff Darby Boewe has announced he will not seek reelection, and there are no Democratic candidates in the race.
52-year-old Hart has been involved in law enforcement since the age of 21, when he began as a part-time deputy for the Edwards County Sheriff’s Department under Sheriff Oren Smith. While attending college, he worked as a dispatcher for Sheriff Bob Caldwell for two years. Hart also served part-time roles in Albion and West Salem before accepting a full-time police officer position in Owensboro, Kentucky. At the end of 1998, he returned to Illinois to join the Newton Police Department in a full-time capacity.
In 2002, Hart started his career with the Illinois Secretary of State Police. Over the next 23 years, he rose through the ranks—serving as Investigator, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain—and was ultimately appointed Director of the Secretary of State Police in 2024 by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias.
As Director, Hart chaired the Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Council, which works to prevent and reduce vehicle hijacking, carjacking, vehicle theft, insurance fraud, recycled metal theft, and related crimes.
Hart retired in June 2025 and quickly returned to serve as a part-time deputy in Edwards County. The statewide primary election is scheduled for March 17th with the midterm elections set for November 3rd.