Anthony J. Buckner

Current office

• Chief Deputy, Shelby County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) — second-in-command of the largest sheriff's office in Tennessee, overseeing roughly 1,500 employees and 2,500–3,000 inmates. Appointed by Sheriff Floyd Bonner, Jr., on July 25, 2023. (SCSO command staff bio, campaign site)

2026 Candidacy

• Democratic candidate for Shelby County Sheriff in the May 5, 2026 primary. One of five Democrats in the primary (Buckner, Reginald Hubbard, Keisha Scott, Ricky Pollard, Michael Pope). The seat is open because Sheriff Floyd Bonner is term-limited. (Fox 13 Memphis)
• Leads the Democratic field in fundraising; Daily Memphian reports he is among the county primary candidates with six-figure cash-on-hand. (Daily Memphian)
• Campaign site: bucknerforsheriff.com. Slogans: "Our City, Our County, Our Sheriff" and "Believe in Buckner."

Career at SCSO

Began in law enforcement at age 15 as a Memphis Police Department Explorer; joined the SCSO Explorer program at 16; officially hired by SCSO in 2001. Approximately 25 years on the force. Prior assignments and ranks include: (SCSO bio, Fox 13 Memphis)

• Fugitive Division; Patrol; Gang Unit; Narcotics; Crime Prevention
• Patrol Sergeant; Criminal Courts Sergeant
• Lieutenant, Internal Affairs
• Captain, Public Information Office
• Chief Inspector / Director of Training
• Assistant Chief Deputy of Patrol and Patrol Support Services

Education

• B.S. and M.S. in Criminal Justice, Bethel University.
• Graduate of the FBI National Academy.
• Adjunct Criminal Justice professor, Spartanburg Methodist College. (SCSO bio, campaign site)

Family

• Wife Chrystal; children Anderson and Zaria, plus "bonus son" Ayden. (campaign site)

Platform

Community relationships, transparency, crime prevention, and jail management. At a March 17, 2026 Shelby County Democratic Party sheriff candidate forum, he said the sheriff's office "has done a poor job communicating with the public" and pointed to a recent hiring surge and expanded mentorship programs as evidence of his leadership. (Yahoo News coverage of forum)

In his words

• "My run for Sheriff stems from a deep commitment to serving our community and ensuring public safety. I believe that with my over 20 years of experience and background in law enforcement, I can bring a fresh perspective and innovative solutions to our challenges." (campaign site)

Compiled from publicly available web sources on 2026-04-18.

Public filings

Tennessee law requires candidates and officeholders to file campaign finance reports and a statement of interest. None of the state or county sites below supports direct links to an individual record — you'll need to search by last name on each.

Campaign finance

• State offices (Governor, US Senate, US Rep, TN Senate, TN House, State Executive Committee) — Tennessee Registry of Election Finance . Click Search for Candidates and PACs, enter last name “Buckner”, and submit.
• Shelby County and municipal offices (County Mayor, Commissioner, Sheriff, School Board, court clerks, municipal alderman, etc.) — Shelby County Public Campaign Finance Portal . Select the election year and search by candidate name (“Buckner”).

Statement of interest (conflict of interest)

• Required for state and local officials and candidates — Tennessee Ethics Commission Conflict of Interest Search . Enter last name “Buckner”and, if needed, select the applicable position from the dropdown.