RISON - Keden Shrum of Rison, a former sheriff’s deputy in Oklahoma, announced this week his intentions to run for Cleveland County Sheriff in the 2026 election.Shrum will be running against current Cleveland County Sheriff Deputy Michael Poss of Rison, who also announced his intentions this week to seek the position.Both candidates emerged after current Cleveland County Sheriff Jack Rodgers announced he will be retiring once he completes his term on Dec. 31, 2026. Shrum currently serves as the preacher for the Rison Church of Christ. The son of an Oklahoma police officer, Shrum said he has had an interest in law enforcement from a young age, joining a Boy Scouts group called the Police Explorers at age 14 that he continued to participate in until he aged out.Overall, he has 10 years experience as an officer, starting out as a reserve sheriff deputy in Oklahoma before getting hired on as a part-time deputy and eventually as a full-time deputy. He achieved the rank of lieutenant before he left law enforcement. Shrum said he worked for some police departments as well.Shrum earned his law enforcement certification from the Oklahoma Council of Law Enforcement and Training, amassing more than 1,000 hours of training. He also received firefighting training from Oklahoma State University, and was a law enforcement field training officer.After leaving law enforcement, Shrum said he spent time as an oil field worker before becoming a ranch manager for Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt. He said he also preached during that time as well.Shrum entered into full-time ministry after that, becoming the preacher for the Rison Church of Christ after earning a bachelor’s degree in preaching and ministry from Brown Trail School of Preaching in Bedford, Texas.He moved to Rison in 2022, and has been active in the community since his arrival. Shrumis a member of both the Rison Fire Department and t...
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