Democrat Danny Ceisler ousts Fred Harran in Bucks County sheriff’s race

Democratic challenger Danny Ceisler has declared victory over Republican incumbent Fred Harran in the Bucks County sheriff’s race. As of 12:27 a.m. Wednesday morning, Ceisler had garnered more than 54% of the vote with more than 95% or precincts reporting, according to the county’s unofficial election results.

Ceisler, 33, a U.S. Army veteran, moved to Bristol Borough in Bucks County in 2020. He told WHYY News that as sheriff, he plans to “take politics out of law enforcement, focus on nuts and bolts public safety, and end the extreme and ridiculous partnership with” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“This is the swing county in the swing state,” Ceisler said. “ICE was the big issue in this race, and voters overwhelmingly voted … to elect the candidate who wanted to end the ICE partnership. And that does send a message to law enforcement all over the country that partnering with ICE is a losing proposition.”

Harran, 61, made headlines in his first term as the county’s chief law enforcement officer when he signed a 287(g) collaboration agreement with ICE. Harran could not be reached for comment.

A Court of Common Pleas judge ruled against a bid to temporarily block the agreement, finding the sheriff’s agreement lawful despite plaintiffs’ assertion that the collaboration could lead to racial profiling.

Ceisler criticized Harran’s decision to work with ICE, telling WHYY News ahead of the election that the move “actively harms public safety.”

As sheriff, Ceisler said he plans to restore trust with the county’s immigrant communities, and use his legal, military and governmental experience to make the county safer and reduce outstanding bench warrants.

“There’s going to be an immediate moratorium the day I take office,” he said of the ICE agreement. “And then we’re going to figure out how to disengage from the partnership as expeditiously as we can do responsibly.”

Ceisler, born and raised in Philadelphia, has been working as the chief operating officer of Ceisler Media. In 2023, he served as a senior public safety official in Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration, with a focus on emergency preparedness and response statewide.