Backed by decades of experience serving in law enforcement, Jason Gore, retired Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) of the Chicago Field Division, has officially announced his candidacy for Lake County Sheriff in 2026.
During a press conference Thursday at the Sage-Popovich, Inc. Aircraft Operations Hangar in Gary, Gore announced his run on the democratic ticket, saying his campaign will focus on pillars developed from a culmination of his training, experience, observations, and lessons he gained from some of the most progressive police departments in the country.
He said those pillars are:
“My goal, as your elected Sheriff, is to combine all my training, experience, partnerships, and successes as both a police officer right here in Lake County, followed by a 21-year career as a federal agent, and bring it home, with the single goal of making Lake County a safe place to live and work,” remarked Gore during his announcement. “It would be an honor to serve as your Sheriff and give back to our community for all it has given me.”
A Lake County native and graduate of Hammond High School, Gore earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology and criminal justice from Purdue University Northwest in 1995. His career began with the Merrillville Police Department as a patrol officer in 1998, later promoted to detective and assigned to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force. He was also a member of the Merrillville Police Department’s SWAT, now known as NWI Regional SWAT.
In 2004, Gore was hired as a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, (ATF) and assigned to assist in the development of a violent crime task force in South Bend to address the illegal possession of firearms by violent offenders, which is still active today. In 2008, he transferred to the ATF Merrillville Field Office, covering 12 northwestern counties in Indiana, investigating cases involving violent crime, explosives and firearms, and drug trafficking.
During this time, he became the ATF case agent in the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) investigation of the violent Imperial Gangsters Street Gang which operated in East Chicago, Indiana. The investigative group successfully dismantled the gang, having indicted 24 members, thereby solving 17 homicide cases. Special Agent Gore went on to lead four additional RICO gang cases in Lake County, resulting in the prosecution of nearly 100 additional gang members and solving over 40 homicides. He continued to serve as a RICO Subject Matter Expert nationally.
At that time, he also joined the Northwest Indiana Major Crimes Task Force, moving into the role of Assistant Commander 2014. Soon after, he was promoted to Resident Agent in Charge of the ATF Merrillville Field Office in 2017 and created the Northwest Indiana Violent Crimes Task Force.
Gore was appointed Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Chicago Field Division in 2023, supervising eight ATF Field and Satellite offices across 90 counties in Indiana and Illinois. In that capacity, he served as the ATF On-Scene Commander for the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. He retired honorably from the ATF in March 2025.
Throughout his career, Gore lectured at several senior level training programs, including at the United States Army War College in Pennsylvania and the International Association of Chiefs of Police at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. He served as an international trainer for law enforcement in Mexico, Central and South America, and El Salvador. He instructed Assistant United States Attorneys on working closely with agents and officers on investigating and prosecuting gangs and transnational criminal investigations using federal racketeering and trafficking statutes to hold accountable violent individuals and their organizations.
He has earned numerous accolades, including the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy National High Intensity Drug Trafficking Award, the U.S. Department of Justice Director’s Award, the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Director’s Award, and the United States Attorney General’s Exceptional Service Award. He was also honored to be a 2017 nominee for the Nation’s Top Cop Award recognizing his dedication by the National Association of Police Organizations.
“Today marks a new era in leadership at the Lake County Sheriff’s Department. Lake County is at the forefront of economic success in Indiana and one of the most diverse and prosperous counties in Indiana, with a growing and bright future,” commented Gore. “As your sheriff, I promise to develop a Sheriff’s Department that will provide the level of safety and crime reduction necessary for future prosperity for the citizens of this county. Let’s do it together.”
