Testimonials
Marcie Bazor
“As a registered independent voter, I vote for the candidate, not the party. Jim Skinner has served well in many capacities and he has my endorsement. He is a man of action and compassion judging by his accomplishments.”
Phil Blackstone
“Sheriff Skinner has my total support for his reelection.”
Linda Block
“Collin County is blessed to have you as our sheriff.”
Roger Bolin
“Jim Skinner has gone above and beyond to keep Collin County Safe. His leadership has made Collin County a better place to live.”
Debbie Bonnenberger
“Collin County has the best sheriff.”
Olena Bonner
“Collin County has the most qualified sheriff in Texas. Let’s vote Jim Skinner to continue to keep us safe.”
Jason Brazil
“You’ve done a great job so far. You have my support for a second term!”
Payton Brooks
“Focused on keeping the community safe! Period!”
Evan Byrd
“As a defender of the Constitution of Texas and the United States, I am proud to have Jim Skinner as our Texas Sheriff.”
Mark Cage
“I have known Sheriff Skinner for over 20 years as a law enforcement professional. He is one of the premier lawmen in the country. Collin County is blessed to have him. As a fellow sheriff and friend, I give Jim Skinner my highest endorsement for re-election as sheriff.”
Matt Carpenter
“The Carpenter family thanks you for your continued, dedicated service to Collin County and the Great State of Texas. We look forward to another productive 4 years with you as Collin County Sheriff.”
Don Clark
“You’re the right guy for the job, Sheriff Jim Skinner. Everyone in the US Marshal Posse of North Texas is behind you 100%.”
Kevin Collins
“I support Sheriff Skinner. As a Retired Chief of Police of 25 years, I can appreciate great leadership. Sheriff Skinner is the man for the job.”
Clint Cook
“Thank God we have a Sheriff who takes his oath to the Constitution seriously. Keep the faith!”
Russell Cooper
“Our country needs more people in service who possess the degree of excellence Jim Skinner brings to our county every day. I sleep better at night knowing he is on duty. Thank you, Sir, for your service!”
Joe Cordina
“Jim’s professionalism and commitment to excellence is second to none. His leadership in law enforcement has resulted in great results in confidence and safety for the residents of Collin County.”
Vickie Costa
“You have my vote! You have proven yourself to be a great sheriff for Collin County.”
Shan Holmes Dean
“Best Sheriff ever!!!! You know you can always count on us!!!
Sue Denson
“Sheriff Jim Skinner is & has been a terrific Sheriff for Collin County. Thank you for protecting us.”
Misty Dillard
“You’re a great Sheriff. I hope you get re-elected. May God bless you and Collin County.”
Marvelle Ditto
“You had my vote before you filed for re-election. Thank you for the great job that you have done for Collin County. We are so lucky to have you!”
Mark Ealy
“This is a Great Sheriff. Awesome job.”
Sharen Edwards
“The hardest working sheriff in Texas!! You’re the best and you have my vote and support 100%.”
Russell and Barbara Foreman
“Sheriff Skinner, I’ve known you since before you became Collin County Sheriff as a man of honor, trustworthy, and a rock solid citizen. It is with great admiration that I endorse such a worthy public servant as yourself. God bless you, Collin County, and America. My prayers continue to be with you!! So glad that you are running again. Keep up the great work you are doing.”
Sandra Froese
“It is my privilege to endorse Jim Skinner’s re-election for Collin County Sheriff. His credentials in law enforcement, experience and public safety are exceptional.”
GiGi Gervasi
“I Highly Endorse Theeee Best Sheriff in The Nation, Sheriff Jim Skinner! He’s proven his commitment to protect and defend all our citizens of this County, State and Nation! GOD Bless and Protect Him!”
Lisa Hallmark
“I worked for Jim Skinner as a paralegal several years ago. He is one of the most honest and ethical men I know. He is tough when he needs to be but has a big heart. Jim is a fine example of what this country needs in law enforcement.”
Raul Hinojosa
“Honorable lawman, bad hombres beware.”
Dan Hoff
“Sheriff Skinner is who we need in Collin County!”
Brandon Jackson
“First and foremost, I’m an employee of the Collin County Sheriff’s Office. On behalf of the Jackson family, I couldn’t see it any other way than to have Jim Skinner remaining the Sheriff of Collin County.”
Troy Jackson
“We need Jim to assume Sheriff roles in Dallas and Collin at the same time! He’s a great guy and has been a great friend for about 8 years now. A man of great wisdom, also. Re-elect Skinner for certain!”
Larry Jasper
“Collin County is fortunate to have a dynamic and capable man like Jim Skinner at the helm of the Collin County Sheriff Department. The citizens of Collin County are blessed … and safer … due to his outstanding law enforcement leadership.”
Bob & Sheila Johnson
“A man of integrity, experience & commitment to serving Collin County with exceptional humility! We are fortunate to have Sheriff Jim Skinner protecting us 24/7.”
Jeff Jolly
“Make your vote count – Skinner for Sheriff in 2020!!”
Dan Jones
“So thankful to have a strict constitutionalist leading law enforcement in my county!”
Richard H. Jones III
“A good man and a good officer!”
Warren Jones
“You’ve done a great job for Collin County. I look forward to you serving for years to come.”
Sandy Keathley
“Can’t imagine a better person for Sheriff of Colin County. Only wish we could clone Jim so we had one of him in our county, too!”
Craig Keeland
“Sheriff Jim Skinner is an excellent sheriff and we are glad he is our sheriff. We want to keep him as Collin County Sheriff. May the best always be with him and his wife, Ellen.”
Collin Kimball
“Hell yes. Four more years!”
Janet Landers
“We are so grateful to have a sheriff in Collin County that holds to the Constitution and is willing to uphold the rule of law. Our concerns today are complex issues, i.e., drugs, homelessness, human trafficking and erosion of human and constitutional rights. I offer my support to take aim at those who use crime and strategy to erode our freedoms.”
Thom Lauer
“You have been a great inspiration for my son. I thank you for that. Good luck in your candidacy Sheriff!”
Mark Livingston
“I had the honor of serving with Sheriff Jim Skinner in the United States Air Force. You cannot find a more Dedicated, Loyal and Honest man. I would proudly serve with him again. The folks in Collin County are lucky to have Jim as their Sheriff.”
Lori Loftin
“I support Sheriff Skinner because he’s a true advocate of safety in North Texas. He has worked tirelessly behind the scenes and in the trenches, with our deputies and other law enforcement agencies, across Texas to keep us safe; while we are busy with our daily lives. Sheriff Skinner runs a tight and efficient office over seeing 500 employees and 1000 inmates in our county jail. He has been busy working to keep Collin County the best and safest place to live. I appreciate you & your hard work, Sheriff Skinner!”
Stan Lotridge
“With great pleasure and as a resident of Plano, I endorse Sheriff Jim Skinner for reelection for the position of Collin County Sheriff. He and his team do an amazing job of protecting our community.”
Joyce Lovett-Adkins
“I very much wish to endorse Skinner for Sheriff. It was my pleasure to meet Sheriff Skinner and many of those who serve him. They were in uniform and made me exceedingly proud. As a Professional Registered Parliamentarian, I served Fred Moses as Parliamentarian during his term of some seven years as Chairman of the Collin County Republican Party as well as those who preceded him beginning 2001. I have served as the only Professional Registered Parliamentarian in Collin County.”
Mike Massey
“Re-elect Sheriff Skinner man of highest integrity and experience.”
Steve Mercer
“The best sheriff in Texas and the USA.”
Bob & Teri Nine
“We highly endorse Sheriff Skinner. He has been a true and honest Texas Conservative looking out for all the people in Collin County. He doesn’t play partisan politics, and does not play favorites with any one group of people. He has integrity and good old standard and morals that are sorely lacking in today’s society. We all say we want good men, honest men, able men, moral men, and men of integrity to be in elected office – and yet so many listen to partisan lies and don’t elect these good men. Well, here’s our chance, Texas, to elect such a man. Sheriff Skinner is exactly what Collin County needs to keep safe and prosperous.”
Sonja Oonk
“This gentleman is one of the finest people I have ever meet in all my years in politics. Honest… Serious about office… Easy to speak with… All around a great guy. Thanks, Jim for being willing to be a servant to our community.”
Chris O’Reilly
“He’s the BEST man for the job.”
Ileana Osborn
“Sheriff Skinner is a man of character. He is devoted to keeping our county safe. We definitely saw that during our ride-along with him! Thanks Sheriff Skinner & team for keeping us safe!”
Dana Palmer
“I think Jim is the best sheriff in the country!!”
Shirley Parker
“I am happy to endorse Sheriff Jim Skinner for re-election. He has done a fantastic job of keeping us safe.”
Huseyin Peker
“A great man of service and an exemplary engagement with the local community with humility.”
Neal Polan
“Constitutional sheriff and a constitutional wife. Two patriots, it doesn’t get better than that!”
Jon Brian Porsch
“Could not ask for a better candidate. Thank you for your commitment to protecting us.”
Angela Powell
“Wishing Jim the best!”
Jess Ramos
“A proven prosecutor, lawman and sheriff. Definitely the right man for Collin County. His commitment to better that county is sincere and on point.”
Heather Reynolds
“We are so lucky to have you protecting us and our children!!”
Theodore Riney
“I fully support and endorse Sheriff Jim Skinner, the best for Collin County.”
Mona Roise
“We are so blessed to have you serving and protecting us here in Collin County!!! You definitely have my support!!! You are a good man and a great Sheriff!!!”
Ron Ruffin
“The citizens of Collin County couldn’t ask for a better Sheriff.”
Jerry Sanders
“I’ve watched your work and am proud to endorse and support your reelection bid. Thank you for your character and willingness to act on behalf of our county.”
Mary Sanders
“My family in Collin county are lucky to have you as their Sheriff. Good luck on another term!”
Corky Schalchlin
“Sheriff Skinner, as a Collin County resident, a retired Major from the Texas Department of Public Safety, and as the current Executive Director of the Texas narcotic Officers Association, I wholeheartedly endorse your candidacy for Collin County Sheriff. Thank you for your dedication and service to the citizens of Collin County.”
Paul Sikorski
“The citizens of Collin County are very fortunate to have you as their Sheriff.”
Kyle Sims
“I proudly endorse Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner. Sheriff Skinner is a man of the highest integrity and a dear friend that I have the pleasure of knowing. Sheriff Skinner never meets a stranger and is willing to help anyone who ask. His professionalism is top notch and while his job is challenging and demanding, he makes Collin County one of the safest places to live.”
Betty Nichols Spraggins
“JIM SKINNER… He is the man for the job with all of his experience…I am so proud to have voted for him in the past…He is a great family man who leads with courageous strength to protect all of us…NEED I SAY MORE…VOTE FOR JIM SKINNER FOR COLLIN COUNTY SHERIFF.’
Jim Steinmark
“Your record speaks for itself. What you have done to protect the children of our community is strength enough in how you positively impact our community. Thank you!!”
Cynthia Stewart
“I am happy to endorse both Jim Skinner and Ellen. We are grateful to have such a hyper-qualified man as Sherrif Skinner. IMPRESSIVE!”
Danny Stinson
“Thank you, Sheriff Jim Skinner. You have done a lot for our County. We appreciate you and look forward to another great term.”
Rainey Thornton
“You’ve done an awesome job and Mike & I are certainly behind you!!”
Zella Tyson
“Best Sheriff ever!!!!!”
Adam Vest
“Everything is safe and orderly up here in Blue Ridge Sheriff Skinner. Couldn’t ask for better. You’ve got my vote.”
Annette Vineyard
“Jim Skinner is presently doing a GREAT JOB as Sheriff of Collin County and North Texas. He is definitely A KEEPER!”
Robert Voss
“Let the good work continue. Sheriff Jim Skinner is great for Collin County and Texas.”
Peggy Wade
“I can’t believe anyone would go up against you. There would be no contest. Jim is keeping Collin County safe. He is the best Sheriff and we are so lucky to have him here.”
Bill Wallace
“Endorsing and supporting you is a pleasure as you set an extraordinarily high standard in law enforcement and leadership.”
Keith Wattenbarger
“I have known Jim many years. He is a consummate professional, and extremely committed to the law enforcement profession.”
Betty Westbrook
“You have done your term very well and I wish you well for the next. You are my choice.”
Jayne White
“Thanks for an awesome job!”
_______________________________________________________________________
I have known Jim Skinner since the early 1990s. I worked with him when I was the director of prosecutions and investigations for the New Mexico State Attorney General and he was the Chief Investigator for the Ninth Judicial District Attorney.
I served as the Director of Prosecutions for four consecutive Attorneys General, beginning in 1978. In the 90s, there were several important cases that arose in the Ninth Judicial District, which turned out to have statewide importance that called for the involvement of the attorney general’s office and the prosecutors and investigators whom I supervised.
Because of Jim’s experience in law enforcement and his expertise in directing complex investigations of difficult white-collar and political corruption criminal cases, he invariably became the point person for those cases that were ultimately developed by the combined resources of the district attorney and attorney general, working together with local, state, and on occasion federal law enforcement agencies.
Some of these cases required intensive investigations that lasted many months before any decision to charge was made, and months after charges were filed in preparing for trial. One example was the case involving a national fraudulent boiler room operation located in Southern California, calling senior citizens throughout the country including citizens of New Mexico. The case was discovered by Jim in his efforts to assist an elderly citizen, living in Curry County who felt she had been defrauded by the many false promises that had been made to her by manipulative callers from that out-of-state criminal boiler room enterprise seeking victims wherever they could be found and fooled.
Based on Jim’s investigation, the state attorney general combined forces with the local district attorney and targeted this out-of-state criminal conspiracy that was victimizing New Mexico elder citizens to the tune of many thousands of dollars that none of these elder and handicapped victims could afford to lose. As the investigation proceeded to unfold, it was discovered that the same criminal enterprise, along with several other criminal boiler rooms operating in other states, were also being investigated by a joint taskforce that had been formed by the United States Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Based on the investigation that was initiated and then coordinated on a day-by-day basis by Jim, this case became the main leverage to obtain the cooperation of some of the less culpable co-conspirators, once they found themselves facing charges and jail in New Mexico, and ultimately led to both state and federal indictments of multiple out-of-state defendants. The subsequent convictions and prison sentences put a serious dent in what was becoming an epidemic of this form of organized crime against our elder citizens throughout the country.
One of the more humorous moments in this case was when Oceanside Police Department officers encountered one of the targets of our case in a hotel room on a totally unrelated matter. When approached by these police officers, he blurted out that he was hiding from “a New Mexico detective named Skinner.” The Oceanside police discovered a bag full of computer hard drives in this hotel room and then tracked Jim down in New Mexico that very night. The next day, Jim was on a plane to California. This suspect told Jim that the hard drives held the records of the telemarketing company that could identify thousands of victims throughout the U.S. and Canada. He stated the hard drives were encrypted with a password related to golf, but he didn’t know what it was. Jim returned to New Mexico with the hard drives and in the following weeks used every combination of every golf term until he cracked the password…WholeN1. These records sealed the fate of the top three criminals in that vast conspiracy.
At the conclusion of the taskforce, Jim developed materials and presented national seminars on investigating and prosecuting fraudulent boiler room schemes to investigators and prosecutors throughout the nation.
I worked with Jim as the chief investigator on a number of other complex white collar and political corruption cases during the 90s. In every case he proved to be extremely resourceful. Jim is a highly organized individual, who was meticulous with all aspects of the cases he ran. Jim always conducted his investigations professionally and ethically, resulting in a successful resolution of many difficult and often high profile issues. One of the areas that the state attorney general’s office specialized in during the 90’s, while Jim was the lead investigator in his district was political corruption, bribery and kickbacks in government contracts. These cases have always been difficult to investigate from the state capitol and without the help of competent and fearless local investigators, dedicated to rooting out both local and statewide political corruption, there is little chance of successfully detecting, investigating and prosecuting these offenses.
An example of one of these cases was the successful prosecution of a corrupt county highway department official that had cost the county hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funds that had been siphoned off as ill-gotten gains. In this case, Jim developed information that revealed that a County Road Superintendent was receiving kickbacks from a major road contractor who was building caliche roads using a shallower depth of materials than what the specifications called for, and for which he was being paid. Here, in what was typically an environment where no one talks and evidence is extremely difficult to find, Jim used engineers, scrutinized thousands of documents, researched hundreds of bank accounts, conducted many witness and suspect interviews, building a top notch case that resulted in convictions for all those involved.
After I left the Office of the New Mexico Attorney General and entered into the private practice of the law as a civil litigator and special prosecutor, while Jim had gone on to attend law school in Texas, I continued to employ him as an investigator on cases involving complex fraudulent transactions, including investment frauds, in which I represented the victims as their civil attorney. Some of these cases also resulted in criminal referrals to state and federal prosecutors.
I returned to the role of prosecutor in 2002 and joined the office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico as one of the senior prosecutors in that office. Since retiring from the active practice of law as either a civil litigator or a public prosecutor, I have kept in touch with Jim as he took on the responsibilities of a Collin County prosecutor and then built up his own legal practice in Texas. I have participated from time to time in some of the excellent training programs for law enforcement that Jim has developed and helped to present to all levels of law enforcement in Texas and elsewhere.
I am not surprised to discover that Jim is now standing for election to the office of Sheriff in Collin County, Texas. In every capacity that I have known of his previous public service, Texas law enforcement could not have had a better representative than Jim Skinner. Based on my professional and personal acquaintance with Jim, I have no doubt that if elected to the office he is currently seeking to serve, he will make just as great a contribution there as he has with every previous public trust to enforce the law he has accepted and carried out with the utmost integrity.
Fred Chris Smith
Former Director of Prosecutions and Investigations
New Mexico State Attorney General’s Office
_______________________________________________________________________
My name is Darwin Wisdom. I retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in San Diego, California as a Special Agent in 1995 after 27 years. Beginning in 1985 and continuing until I retired, I was privileged to serve as the investigative coordinator of a multi-agency task force consisting of various local, state and federal law enforcement and criminal justice agencies targeting illegal telemarketing. We engaged in typical investigations as well as undercover operations. One of the undercover operations was called “Operation Disconnect” which began in 1991, expanded nationwide, and resulted in a wave of 240 arrests in March 1993. A spinoff to that operation was called “Operation Senior Sentinel,” which resulted in approximately 1,200 arrests.
Soon after our investigations began we began a partnership with Jim Skinner, then the lead investigator for the Curry County, New Mexico District Attorney’s Office. Numerous victims of San Diego area telemarketing schemes had victims in Clovis County and Jim put together an ingenious plan in which the perpetrators from San Diego were eventually charged in Curry County. But premature charges could have possibly hampered the undercover operation and Jim not only agreed to hold arrests in abeyance, he steadfastly and enthusiastically enhanced the work of the task force by expanding our outreach into New Mexico. At an appropriate time, the suspects were formally charged in Curry County. These charges served to be tremendously successful in getting criminals to plea bargain guilty pleas in both New Mexico courts and federal courts, thus saving county and federal taxpayers the expense and efforts that would have been expended had the criminals been charged in only one jurisdiction. These joint cooperative efforts culminated in the successes outlined above. These cases were not simple, and involved large multi-state criminal conspiracies. Not only did Jim understand the complexities of the cases but assisted in solving them, including the significant work regarding the location and subsequent arrests of those who had fled to avoid prosecution.
As a result of this work with Jim, I came to know Jim not only as a patriotic, energetic, and zealous investigator, I came to know him as a friend, a friendship that I cherish to this day. Jim is arguably the most dogged and tenacious law enforcement officer that I have ever had the privilege to work with.
During my years of professional and personal relationship with Jim, I can attest that he is a man of integrity, of keen intellect, and has been respected by his peers in New Mexico, Texas, and his San Diego “family.”
After I retired from the FBI in 1995, I started a private investigation business in San Diego now known as Baker Street Group, Inc. Jim left the district attorney’s office and went to law school, and became an attorney in Texas. I was privileged to have been able to become licensed in Texas, where I continued my relationship with Jim during which time I found that his tenacity and skills I knew him to have as an investigator carried on with him as an attorney.
I am privileged to state unequivocally that it is my belief that Jim will faithfully serve the citizens of Collin County when he is elected Sheriff.
Darwin Wisdom
Retired FBI Special Agent
San Diego, California
_______________________________________________________________________
My name is Gary Barber and I am from Tarrant County, Texas. As a young airman serving in the United States Air Force, I was extremely fortunate to have Jim Skinner as my supervisor, my mentor and as a leader. His guidance, can-do attitude and expectations for us to achieve a higher purpose, helped guide many of his subordinates to conquer things they never thought possible. Staff Sergeant Skinner was a man of character and integrity who lead by example. He was known by all in our Squadron as honest, intelligent, trustworthy and disciplined. For me, without his leadership, I would have left the military after 4 years and never realized the accomplishments I achieved: retiring as a Master Sergeant in the USAF, culminating my career with a deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom.
History beckons leaders at an early age and we all knew then that SSgt Skinner was destined to achieve great things. I believe that becoming the next Collin County Sheriff is what Jim Skinner has been called to do and I believe the residents of Collin County will be well served by electing him as your next Sheriff.
Gary Barber
Retired MSGT, U.S. Air Force
_______________________________________________________________________
My name is Keith Thomas Wattenbarger and I am currently the Roosevelt County Emergency Management Director and Roosevelt County 9-1-1 Coordinator in the State of New Mexico. I has been my privilege and pleasure to serve in this capacity for the past nine years.
Earlier in my career, I served 19 years in law enforcement in Roosevelt and Curry counties, New Mexico. As a rookie uniformed patrol officer with the Portales Police Department, Jim Skinner was one of my first Patrol Sergeants.
His professionalism and willingness to mentor me were instrumental in my professional development and it affirmed for me that the career I had chosen would be productive. After a short time, Jim was transferred to the Criminal Investigations Section as a Detective where he was responsible for investigating homicides, rapes, robberies, assaults and other violent crimes, as well as property crimes like burglaries and thefts.
In early 1990, I was transferred into Investigations and Jim Skinner was assigned as my Training officer. With Jim’s help, over the next several months, I learned how to organize my time, perform criminal suspect interviews, write effective case files, how to collect evidence, how to effectively present a case to the District Attorney and ultimately, how to effectively testify in court. Jim was a highly organized and very efficient criminal investigator and he was instrumental in helping me become a successful Detective. He was a natural leader who could always be depended on to do the right thing and set the right example for others.
Jim and I continued to work closely together after he left our department to become a criminal investigator for the State. As the Chief Investigator for the Ninth Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Clovis, NM, Jim helped me with a number of high profile criminal cases that required more resources than my department could offer.
Of the many murder cases throughout the District in which he was involved, I recall two homicide cases in particular where Jim’s assistance to me was instrumental in identifying the murderers, both of whom were later convicted. One victim was a young college student who had been strangled and drowned in her bathtub by an intruder in her home. In this case, after months of dedicated police work by a small group of investigators, Jim’s expertise in suspect interrogation resulted in this killer confessing to the murder. In the second homicide case, the killer fled the country and after seventeen years was arrested, extradited and successfully prosecuted. Here, Jim assisted our Agency by helping us identify where this suspect had initially fled immediately following the murder. I recall another incident in the District where Jim was assigned by the District Attorney to look into the death of an Eastern New Mexico University professor in a remote ranch house that another law enforcement agency had ruled a suicide. Jim ultimately arrested the Professor’s former lover and charged her with 1st Degree Murder. His investigation revealed that after a breakup, the ex-lover intentionally shot the Professor in the head as she entered the front door of her house, and then shot herself in the leg and staged the crime scene to make it appear the Professor committed suicide after shooting her ex-lover during a heated argument. But for Jim Skinner, this ambush killer would have walked free.
These three cases are but a small reflection of Jim’s work as a law enforcement officer in New Mexico. Jim Skinner was a man of integrity who could always be relied upon when asked for help. He enjoyed a reputation among his peers as a relentless and determined criminal investigator who would never let up until he solved his case. Jim was known throughout the law enforcement community for his ability to pick up a Cold Case, re-establish contact with witnesses and victim(s) and then go solve the crime.
With great admiration, I offer that Jim Skinner is a consummate professional law enforcement officer, who had a highly successful career when he served in New Mexico. My almost seven years of direct daily contact with him qualifies me to attest to the positive impact that he had on our communities, and certainly in my professional life. I would not hold the position I do today had it not been for those early years of mentorship from Jim Skinner.
Your communities would be well served with him as your next Sheriff.
Keith Thomas Wattenbarger
Roosevelt County Emergency Management Director
Roosevelt County 9-1-1 Coordinator
City of Portales, New Mexico