Robert Morin

by Eric Tiongson

White County News

In 2000, Robert Morin and his wife came to White County for their honeymoon. He fell in love with the area, and knew he wanted to live there one day. In 2008, they moved to White County, and save for a couple years, have been here ever since.

Now, Morin wants to serve the area. He’s running for Sheriff in the 2024 election.

Morin described his platform as “proactive enforcement” and “crime suppression.” He wants to put an emphasis on lowering the crime rate in the county by increasing the presence of the sheriff’s office in the area. While he recognizes that this may cause a rise in the crime rate in the short run, he believes it will decrease crime in the long run.

“We’re going to take back the county that people here love,” Morin said. “I love this county, it’s the reason I moved back to it.”

Morin believes his values make him a qualified candidate for the position of sheriff, citing his honesty, integrity and morals.

“It’s the way I was raised in my generation, and I still carry them strong today,” Morin said. “I bring transparency. Everybody ought to be treated the same.”

He believes that citizens have the right to be heard, and hopes he can be someone they can talk to if they have any problems.

Morin described himself as a “late bloomer” when it comes to his career in law enforcement. He got his start in 2012, serving as a deputy sheriff in White County. He also served as deputy sheriff in Harris County for three years.

While in Harris County, Morin was named deputy of the quarter, one of his proudest accomplishments. Among his achievements are catching an armed robber and multiple drug busts.

With backgrounds both in and out of White County, Morin believes he can bring a unique perspective to the sheriff’s office that would serve the county well.

“I’ve had people say ‘maybe it’s time we have somebody from the outside that’s looking in that comes in and help get things on the right track here,’” Morin said.

While Morin is in an election against incumbent Rick Kelley, he doesn’t view it as a competition.

“I’m just running for the office of sheriff,” Morin said. “I’m not running against Rick Kelley, I have no ill will towards Rick Kelley.”

When Morin is not working, he likes to spend time outdoors and drive around in his truck. He says he welcomes anyone to come up to him if they see him driving around, and would love to meet more people in the area.