Iron County Elections - Pedro for IC Sheriff

Why I’m Standing With PJ Garcia for Iron County Sheriff

I’m supporting PJ Garcia for Iron County Sheriff because I believe he is the kind of leader who will stand out front, take responsibility, and fight for real, visible change in our community every single day.

Meeting PJ for the First Time

Three weeks ago, I finally had the chance to sit down with PJ and talk face to face. It was not a long, polished photo‑op kind of meeting. It was a simple conversation about why he wants to run, what is broken in our county, and what it would take to fix it. By the time we wrapped up, I knew I was talking to someone who would lead from the front, not from behind a desk.

A Life Rooted in Southern Utah

What struck me right away was how grounded he is in southern Utah. PJ has spent 19 years in law enforcement and private security across Iron, Washington, and Beaver counties, and his family has had roots in this part of the state for decades. He talks about this area the way locals do, not like a politician who just learned the town names last year. When you listen to him, you get the sense that he is not looking for a stepping stone. He is looking to serve the place that raised him.

Why Iron County Needs Real Change

Iron County needs change that goes beyond slogans. People here feel the pressure of growth, rising costs, and the fallout of crime and addiction in their neighborhoods. They notice when calls take longer to answer, when drugs show up in their kids’ schools, when they do not recognize the deputies driving past their homes. Change has to be something you can see on your street, in your neighborhood, and in how safe your family feels walking out the front door.

A Lawman Who Builds People Up

PJ’s record shows that he understands that kind of change starts with people, not just policies. Over nearly two decades, he has built a reputation for helping others climb out of some of the darkest places a person can fall. You will hear stories from folks who battled substance abuse and will tell you PJ was one of the steady voices who believed they could get clean and stay clean. You will meet neighbors who remember him not as a badge first, but as a reliable presence when things went sideways in their lives. Iron County does not just need a sheriff who enforces the law. It needs a sheriff who knows how to rebuild lives while protecting everyone else around them.

Leading Within the Ranks

Inside the ranks, PJ has spent years building his fellow officers up instead of tearing them down. Law enforcement is hard work. If deputies feel disposable, the community pays the price. If they are trained, supported, and held to a high standard, the community gets better policing, better judgment, and better outcomes. PJ talks about his colleagues with respect and a sense of responsibility. He wants to see deputies mentored, not just managed, and that kind of internal culture is what keeps good officers here instead of losing them to other agencies.

Practical Ideas for a Safer Iron County

When we talked about what he would do as sheriff, PJ did not stay in the clouds. He shared practical ideas that tell you exactly how he thinks about safety and community.

This is just a few of some of the things we talked about:

• Create dedicated safe zones for social media marketplace transactions, so people have a monitored spot for in‑person exchanges.
• Work with local businesses to build recurring community events like “skate with the sheriff,” where kids and families can interact with law enforcement in a relaxed, friendly setting.
• Make sure deputies and sheriff’s office staff are properly equipped while staying within a responsible budget, treating public money with care and focusing on real needs, not wish lists.

These are simple, concrete steps that make daily life safer and build trust between the sheriff’s office and the people it serves.

Why I Chose to Get Involved

For me, the choice to help manage PJ’s campaign comes down to a simple idea: the change starts now, however big or small the office may be. You do not wait for the perfect moment or the perfect race. You look at the people willing to step forward, you look at their record, and then you decide whether to stand with them. After talking with PJ, hearing his vision, and seeing how he has already invested in this community, I decided I was not going to sit on the sidelines.

If you want to learn more about him, you can visit his website at https://vote4pedro.org and follow his campaign updates at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61585521916648.

Call to Action: Help Put PJ on the Ballot

Right now, PJ is working to secure over 600 signatures from registered Republican voters in Iron County so he can appear on the ballot this summer. That is the first real test of whether our community is ready for a different kind of leadership in the sheriff’s office.

If you are a registered Republican living in Iron County and you believe our county deserves a sheriff who will lead from the front, I invite you to add your name. We would be happy to meet with you in person to explain more about PJ’s vision, answer your questions, and secure your signature.

Reach out, set up a time, and help us take this first concrete step toward the change so many of us have been asking for.