29-04-2025
Primary election 2025: 2 candidates compete for Berks sheriff
Two candidates are seeking the Republican nomination to be Berks County sheriff.
Acting Berks County Sheriff Mandy Miller and retired Reading police officer Chris Rothermel are running in the May 20 primary to fill a vacancy left when Eric Weaknecht won election in November to serve as the representative for the 5th Legislative District.
They are running to serve the remaining two years of Weaknecht's term.
The office is responsible for elements of criminal court, civil court, enforcement of state crimes and motor vehicle codes and has a firearms licensing and enforcement function. It is staffed with 110 employees organized into six divisions — civil, court, patrol, central booking, K-9 and warrants.
The county sheriff currently receives an annual salary of $101,694.
We asked the candidates to respond to two questions.
Question 1: Why do you believe you are the right person for this position?
Question 2: What is the biggest challenge facing the office today and what would you do to address that challenge if elected?
Chris Rothermel
Chris Rothermel
Background: Rothermel retired from the Reading Police Department after 27 years of service, where he supervised criminal investigations and patrol activities. He's a graduate of the Penn State Justice and Safety Institute. He also served as a volunteer counselor and board member for the Pennsylvania State Police Camp Cadet Academy.
Age: 52.
Website:
Response 1: I'm the right person for the job because I'm the most experienced candidate with leadership experience in law enforcement. My time on the job and experience earning my rank through testing and interviews in a competitive environment, rather than having had rank just handed to me, means I've had to learn from my mistakes, and grow from them.
I've disciplined others and been disciplined so I understand exactly what it is for an employee to go through those hard times and how to move forward afterward. I believe in constant training, especially at the higher ranks. Without change and growth we become complacent.
Response 2: I think morale is low in the department. That's a tough issue in any department. I believe the sheriff needs to back its deputies by backing them up during contract years to ensure fair pay.
Promotions under my department would be by board interview, rather than a handshake policy to friends. This would allow deputies who have never been considered to apply and interview for the job. I would use the civil service rules to fairly promote the best candidates for the job.
No more political handshakes to hire employees with no experience and give them rank over qualified deputies already on the job with years of experience.
Also, even though the sheriff has the ability to hire and fire at will, no one would lose their jobs from deputy to the rank of captain upon my takeover. Politics in the office, any law enforcement office, needs to cease. It creates a hostile environment for employees. I would move forward with the existing people who do the job and modify any policy requiring change as we go.
Mandy Miller
Mandy Miller
Background: Miller is serving as the acting sheriff, having been appointed to fill a vacancy left when Eric Weaknecht won election in November to serve as the representative for the 5th Legislative District. She has more than 25 years of experience working in the office.
Age: 47.
Website:
Response 1: I'm proud to have spent over 25 years protecting and serving the people of Berks County, working my way through every rank — deputy, sergeant, captain, chief deputy and now having the honor of serving as your sheriff. I'm a graduate of Wilson High School, the Reading Police Academy and the Pennsylvania Sheriff Academy at Penn State University. I also recently earned my degree in business management to strengthen the leadership skills needed to run a modern, efficient sheriff's office.
Every day, I lead with integrity, transparency and a deep commitment to doing what's right for our community. I know the sheriff's office inside and out because I've worked in every division and faced the real challenges that come with serving the public.
Since taking office, I've focused on delivering real improvements — streamlining operations, expanding hours for our license to carry firearms section, building stronger community partnerships and ensuring that every resident receives the highest level of service and protection. I have also seen the incredible results we achieve when law enforcement and the community work together.
I'm not just talking about leadership — I'm delivering it. And I'm ready to continue building a safer, stronger Berks County, side by side with the people who call it home.
Response 2: One of the biggest challenges facing the sheriff's office today is the growing lack of respect for law enforcement, which makes it harder to recruit and retain qualified deputies.
As sheriff, I've already taken action to combat this. I recently won a battle to increase our deputies' pay, ensuring that they are compensated fairly for the difficult and dangerous work they do. This was a critical step in showing our team that we value and respect them.
But it doesn't stop there. I'm also strengthening our community relationships and increasing transparency so the public sees the professionalism and dedication of our deputies. When we rebuild that trust, we rebuild respect — and that will help us recruit the next generation of law enforcement leaders.
Inside the office, I'm continuing to focus on creating a culture where deputies are supported, valued and given opportunities to grow in their careers. We've also ramped up our recruitment efforts to bring in new deputies from our community — people who are passionate about serving others and making a real difference.
Respect is earned, and I'm committed to earning it — both for our deputies and for the community we serve.
