Every election cycle, Moore County voters are asked to make decisions about the people who will govern their daily lives — their roads, their taxes, their public safety, their schools. Too often, those decisions get made with too little information.

The Lynchburg Times is committed to changing that. This election season, we submitted an identical set of questions to every candidate seeking office in the August 2026 General Election. The questions were designed to go beyond biography — to surface values, priorities, and the kind of thinking voters deserve to see before they mark a ballot. We asked about community connection, relevant experience, the single issue each candidate considers most urgent, where they might diverge from conventional wisdom, how they’d navigate a budget crisis, and how they plan to serve constituents who didn’t choose them.

The answers are published exactly as submitted, without editing or rewriting. What you read is what the candidate gave us. We’ll let you take it from there.

{Editor’s Note: The Lynchburg Times does not endorse candidates.}

The Times: Tell us about yourself and your connection to this community. How long have you lived here, and what has your involvement in local civic life looked like? In brief, how might voters know you?

Hatfield: My name is Tyler Hatfield, and I am your current Sheriff. I have been in office for just under eight years and am seeking re-election for my third term. I am a lifelong resident of Moore County and deeply involved in the community. I volunteer with the Moore County Resource Center, Lynchburg Youth Baseball, Moore County Middle School Softball, Jr. Pro Basketball, and our community events. I am also a member and lay speaker for the First Methodist Church of Lynchburg.

The Times: What specific experience — professional, civic, or personal — has prepared you to serve in this role?

Hatfield: After high school I attended Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tenn., where I studied sociology with a concentration in criminal justice. I became interested in the law during my senior year of high school and while in college decided law enforcement was the field I wanted to pursue. I was hired by the City of Tullahoma in July of 2008 as a patrol officer and gained experience through call volume and the diversity of working in a city of roughly 20,000 people. I was also the senior officer for my shift and was the acting supervisor in the absence of our sergeant. I was promoted to investigator in November of 2012 where I handled a large caseload, while also taking on other roles such as smartphone forensics, social media investigations, cellular records mapping, and authoring search warrants for the majority of the police department. The experience I gained in these roles prepared me for the role of Sheriff. Learning to manage people, how to prioritize a significant workload, developing professional relationships, and the intricacies of both the law enforcement and court system aid me daily as your Sheriff.

The Times: In your opinion, what is the single most important issue facing our community right now, and what concrete steps would you take to address it in your first year in office?

Hatfield: County-wide, long-term planning is our biggest issue. Where do we need to be next year, or five years from now? What are our infrastructure needs and how do we pay for it while managing budgets and still providing essential services? I manage the Sheriff’s Office budget at least weekly — most of the time daily — to ensure we stay within budget, while also working with Chief Deputy Taylor to manage grant funding to help pay for and source needed items without asking for additional tax dollars from the county. For example, I project the mileage of our patrol fleet years in advance so we can project when vehicles should be removed from service or replaced. Having a robust five-year plan for the county would be a great tool for the Sheriff’s Office.

The Times: Is there an issue where your position differs from what many in your party or your predecessor might support? If so, what is it and why do you hold that view?

Hatfield: (No response provided.)

The Times: Local government budgets involve real tradeoffs. If you had to choose between cutting services or raising revenue to close a budget shortfall, how would you approach that decision?

Hatfield: The Sheriff’s Office does a lot of other functions within the community that are above and beyond the scope of law enforcement, but they greatly reduce the county’s overall budget by using inmates to complete tasks. I will continue to work with our Metro Council to ensure we can maintain public safety while also balancing county and fiscal needs.

The Times: How do you plan to stay accessible and accountable to constituents who didn’t vote for you?

Hatfield: I am ever present in the community, in the court system, and keep regular office hours. I have a dedicated social media account and my office number is 931-307-6450. If you don’t catch me out and about, stop in to the Sheriff’s Office to see me. If I’m out of the office, leave your name and information with our corrections officers and I will call or come to see you when I return. I check my voicemail and email often and work hard to be as accessible as possible.

The Times: What do you want voters who don’t yet know you to understand about why you are running?

Hatfield: Moore County is my home and always will be. My wife and I are raising our children here and work extremely hard to be active and supportive for our community. I care about Lynchburg and all our residents. I’m open to ideas of how to improve our services and better serve our community. I encourage our citizens to go see and shake the hand of our elected officials. If you ask to meet, we will make time to see you. We are blessed with great people in critical positions that genuinely care about this community. Get to know them. Ask questions and give them your ideas about how we can improve. This is what makes Lynchburg special. The personal touch of Lynchburg is part of what makes it a great place to live.

The voter registration deadline for the upcoming election is Tuesday, July 7, and early voting will begin Friday, July 17, and extend through Saturday, Aug. 1. Absentee ballots must be requested by Monday, July 27. The Moore County General Election will take place Thursday, Aug. 6. •

About The Lynchburg Times: The Lynchburg Times covers Moore County elections as part of its commitment to community accountability journalism. This work is supported by readers, small business partners, and corporate underwriters.