The independent candidate for Roanoke sheriff, LeMajor “Lee” Hill, is out of the race, leaving it days after he said his steady leadership would be best to helm the department.

His decision will change the contest.

Hill filed to drop out of the race on June 25, and his name will be removed from the November ballot, Roanoke Director of Elections Nick Ocampo said Monday. No documented reason is required when a candidate files to end a campaign, Ocampo said.

“This was not an easy decision, but after much reflection and consideration, this is the best choice for me and my family,” Hill said in a text with The Roanoke Rambler last week.

Hill, 54, did not elaborate beyond that statement.

Sheriff Antonio Hash, a Democrat, will now face one challenger, Republican James Creasy, a sheriff’s office deputy.

Hill, who worked for the city sheriff’s office for decades, ran against Hash for the Democratic nomination in 2021, losing by about eight percentage points. It could have benefitted Creasy in this year’s race if Hill siphoned some Democratic as well as potential independent votes from Hash.

Creasy, 42, said this week that Hill supporters should know that he offers a similar choice for voters, as the two believe change is needed within the sheriff’s office.

In a campaign Facebook message about Hill’s decision, Creasy wrote:

“Lee and I both shared a vision to bring real, meaningful change not only to the Sheriff’s Office, but to the City of Roanoke as a whole. We understood that true leadership means accountability, transparency, and a willingness to challenge the status quo for the betterment of our community.

“To Lee’s supporters, I want you to know that I share his dedication to these values and more. As a candidate for Sheriff this November, I’m running on a platform of safe streets and real change. My priorities include reducing crime, tackling the homeless situation in Roanoke, boosting employee morale, advocating for equal pay with higher-paying jurisdictions, and increasing the number of deputies on each shift to address critical staffing shortages.”

Meanwhile, Creasy filed a complaint against Hash with the office of city Commonwealth's Attorney Don Caldwell on Tuesday. Caldwell said Tuesday afternoon that he had not had time to read the complaint. He said based on the findings, the matter could be passed to local or state police for investigation.

Creasy, who worked to help get Hash elected four years ago, said earlier this month that the complaint alleges violations by Hash for using his department’s staff, resources, and public platforms to campaign for reelection on taxpayers’ dime.

The complaint is laid out on Creasy’s campaign Facebook page. He documents numerous incidents involving sheriff’s office staff that he says show Hash is using to promote himself politically. He says several — including a program using school resource officers to clean residents’ yards and houses over the summer — is conveniently happening during the time Hash is running for office. 

Hash, 45, who characterized Creasy’s complaint as election year politics in a recent interview, is running for a second term. 

Hash said in that interview that he stands behind his conduct and the ethics of the department. 

“It’s election time, so everyone is going to say xyz,” he said, adding, “I'm not going to play those games.”

Under Hash’s leadership, the sheriff’s office has increased its social media presence, and the department sponsors numerous community events, from gift card giveaways to a “Summer Transparency Tour” every Tuesday night that started June 10 and runs through September. Hash is a fixture at public events and was a key part of a city effort to curb gun violence over the past few years.

He also says it’s important to him that inmates, now called residents, are better people when they are released. He launched a reentry preparation program in 2022 for Roanoke City Adult Detention Center residents called (R)I.G.N.I.T.E. It includes a number of different programs, including GED and culinary studies. 

He said he will continue to campaign on the department’s community outreach as well as his goals to reduce employee turnover through higher pay and finding qualified candidates who want to do the job.