Nov. 5, 2024, is a day Byron Roberson will never forget. It’s the day he was elected as the first Black sheriff of Johnson County, and the first Democrat to serve in nearly a century. Roberson, who previously served as chief of police in Prairie Village, defeated Republican Doug Bedford 50.5 percent to 49.4 percent. The historic night proved to be a step forward not only for him but the county.

A three-year long investigation by former Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden cost taxpayers $88,000 and found no evidence of election fraud during the 2020 election. Newly-elected Johnson County Sheriff Byron Roberson provided an update on the investigation conducted by Hayden. Roberson confirmed there were no cases of fraud in the 2020 election or in any election since, according to a press release.

There’s a new Johnson County sheriff in town as he makes history swearing-in. Sheriff Byron Roberson is the first African American man to lead the county and the first Democrat to wear the badge in more than 90 years. “It feels great,” Roberson said. “But I feel even greater that no one will ever have to say ‘the first African American’ to hold this role. There will be many others after me.”

Byron Roberson is the first Democrat in 96 years, and the first African American, to hold the office of Johnson County Sheriff. Chosen by voters in last week's election, Roberson succeeds the controversial sheriff Calvin Hayden, who had embraced far-right election conspiracies. Prairie Village Police Chief Byron Roberson wasn't intimidated by the fact a Democrat hadn't held the Johnson County Sheriff's seat in nearly a century.

After the votes were officially counted and the winners were declared in the Johnson County, Kansas’s August primary, it was revealed that long-time sheriff, Calvin Hayden, had been voted out and would be replaced by one of two new candidates: Democrat Byron Roberson or Republican Doug Bedford.Unlike the months leading up to the primaries, the campaigns leading up to the general election had not been filled with as much drama or controversy.

Prairie Village Police Chief Byron Roberson has announced his candidacy for Johnson County sheriff, vying to take Sheriff Calvin Hayden’s seat. In a release Wednesday, Roberson’s campaign noted he has the support of four former Johnson County police chiefs — former Lenexa police chiefs Ellen Hansen and Tom Hongslo and former Merriam police chiefs Tim Burnett and Ben Hadley.

“I believe that the sheriff of the county should be concentrating on making the community safer. And unfortunately, the sheriff is spending more time chasing conspiracies, finding a way to get soundbites on CNN and collaborating with people that just aren’t moving the county in the right direction,” Roberson told The Star on Wednesday.

Roberson touted the endorsements of four former local police chiefs, including Ellen Hanson and Tom Hongslo, both former police chiefs of Lenexa, as well as Tim Burnett of Merriam and Ben Hadley of Mission. “Our public endorsement of Byron should underscore the urgent need for a change in leadership at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office,” Hanson is quoted in the release.

Roberson has served as Prairie Village's police chief since Jan. 4, 2021. He has over 25 years of experience as a police officer in Prairie Village and Mission Hills. Prior to becoming a police officer, Roberson spent eight years in the U.S. Marines Corps Reserve, one of which was of active deployment in Desert Storm.