Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott was headed for a simple victory Tuesday night time over Republican Jim Walker.
With greater than half of the precincts reporting — 95 of 149 — Lott led the race with greater than 82 % of the vote. Walker was trailing with 17% of the vote, in accordance with the South Carolina Election Commission.
Lott, 71, who served in regulation enforcement for 49 years, together with the final 28 as sheriff, mentioned he nonetheless has a need to assist Richland County be its greatest.
“I stand by the church hymn, ‘May the work I’ve completed converse for me,’” he beforehand instructed The State.
His high priorities, he mentioned, are to proceed working to scale back gun violence amongst youth.
“We are shedding a technology of younger individuals to gun violence. While some imagine it is a regulation enforcement situation, it’s really a neighborhood situation and must be addressed as such. Gun violence just isn’t a phenomenon distinctive to Richland County. However, we are able to scale back this violence by making everybody in our neighborhood work collectively.”
Lott’s opponent, Walker, 65, is a regulation enforcement veteran who beforehand labored as a deputy with the Richland County Sheriff’s Office.
As a political newcomer, he mentioned his priorities are combating weapons and home violence and facilitating public transparency from the sheriff’s workplace.
“It’s time for a change in our county,” Walker mentioned. “Change can deliver a brand new perspective and rebuild our communities by rebuilding belief and asserting our voice. This means we work collectively as a collaborative group so we are able to deliver the sheriff’s division and communities collectively.”
