Buckley was appointed sheriff on April 10, 1970 by governor Francis W. Sargent following the death of Howard W. Fitzpatrick. He defeated John F. Dever, Jr. in a special election to complete Fitzpatrick's term. He was elected to a full term in 1974, defeating Walter J. Sullivan 51% to 49%. During his tenure, Buckley gained national attention for his stands against the death penalty, support for vocational training and rehabilitation programs for inmates, support for gun control laws, and the elimination of violence on prime-time television. A liberal Republican, Buckley was known for his progressive approach to corrections. During his first year in office, Buckley posed as an inmate for two days in an out-of-state prison, eliminated censorship of inmate mail, allowed inmates to use the sheriff's house on the grounds of the Middlesex House of Correction for conjugal visits, and sued his own office to eliminate the law that allowed juveniles to be jailed with adult criminals. He also took a stance against county government, which he called "a patronage ridden system" and "an anachronism".
1978 elections
On February 6, 1978, Buckley announced his candidacy for Governor of Massachusetts. At the Republican Convention, Buckley finished third on the first ballot behind Edward F. King and Francis W. Hatch, Jr. 212 votes to King's 898 and Hatch's 874. Buckley then dropped out of the race and attempted to move his delegates to Hatch, however the nomination was won by the conservative King on the second ballot. Although he withdrew at the convention he still considered running in the primary. However, on May 17 Buckley officially exited the governor's race. After withdrawing from the Governor's race, Buckley entered the race for the United States House of Representatives seat in Massachusetts's 5th congressional district, which was being vacated by Paul Tsongas. He defeated Nicholas D. Rizzo 54% to 46% in the Republican primary. In the general election, Buckley lost to Democrat James Shannon 52% to 28%, with independent James J. Gaffney, III receiving 20% of the vote. Buckley chose not to run for reelection in 1980.
Death
Buckley died on March 20, 1994 at his home in Belmont, Massachusetts of brain cancer. He was survived by his wife, Judge Marie Buckley, and his two sons.
