The selection process has been announced for the position of interim Greene County Sheriff, pending confirmation of Sheriff Jim Arnott as the next U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Missouri. President Donald Trump recently nominated Arnott for the position.
Under Missouri law, the county commission is responsible for filling a sheriff’s vacancy no later than 14 days after that vacancy occurs. The Greene County Commission is beginning the selection process now, so they’ll be ready once the Senate confirmation process is complete.
Whoever is chosen will serve on a temporary basis until the next municipal election when they will need to run for office. If a vacancy occurs within nine months of a general election, the sheriff’s race is placed on that election’s ballot. If it’s more than nine months before a general election, the county commission is required to call a special election.
If the vacancy occurs after March 17, 2026, but prior to the election on August 4, the regular primary filing window will have closed, and there will not be enough time for candidates to file through the normal process. In that case, each political party’s county committee would convene to select its nominee, and those nominees would be placed on the November 3rd ballot. Independent candidates may also potentially seek placement on the ballot through the petition process.
If the confirmation process extends into late fall or after and the vacancy doesn’t occur in time for the race to appear on the November 3, ballot, the commission would have to call a special election at a later date.
Anyone interested in applying for interim Greene County Sheriff can find more information at greenecountymo.gov under “Interim Sheriff Selection Process.”
