Candidate: If Elected, I’ll Only Serve 2 Terms

Democratic candidate for Bucks County Sheriff Dennis McCauley announced Friday that he will only serve for two four-year terms in the office. And that is only if he wins in November.

“I believe in term limits,” McCauley said. “Elected office should be about serving the public, not building an empire.”

McCauley, current director of security for Bucks County Community College and a former Abington police officer, is running against incumbent Sheriff Edward “Duke” Donnelly. Donnelly has served as sheriff for 10 years and previously was chief of police in Lower Southampton.

“Two terms is enough time to accomplish those goals and put the Sheriff’s Department on a solid footing for continued success in the future,” McCauley said.

“Unfortunately, the incumbent Sheriff, Duke Donnelly, is the classic example of the need for term limits. Donnelly has been Sheriff for 10 years and now wants to extend his grip on the office to 14 years. But it seems like the longer Donnelly stays, the worse things get for Bucks County,” McCauley added.

So far, McCauley’s campaign has focused on reforming the department, which has been the focus on a grand jury investigation, federal lawsuits and several other controversies. If he wins, the Doylestown resident has said he plans to rid the department of political influence and “restore public trust.”

McCauley has called the yellow text featured Donnelly’s name on marked sheriff department vehicles a “rolling political ads.” The cars and SUVs used by deputies are owned by the county.

The candidate held a press conference in June where he asked for the state attorney general to  release  the results of  a 2011 grand jury investigation in the sheriff’s department.