Vernon Stanforth won reelection to his seventh term as Fayette County Sheriff in resounding fashion by taking nearly 72% of the vote over challenger, Leonard Sines, at Tuesday’s general election.
Stanforth, a Republican, defeated Sines, who ran as an independent, by a 8,435-3,293 margin, according to unofficial results from the Fayette County Board of Elections.
“I appreciate the confidence the voters have given me in reelecting me to another four years. We have a lot of work to accomplish,” said Stanforth. “It’s never a dull moment in Fayette County or at the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office. We are working every day to represent and to protect the people of Fayette County, and serve all of Fayette County. It’s been a lot of work that has gone into this election. We greatly appreciate the support we received and hopefully we continue to get that support through the next four years as we move into the new jail facility.
“There are many challenges facing us and many challenges that society is putting on law enforcement. Fayette County is in the forefront of that struggle to make sure that small counties are not negatively impacted by the misdeeds of some of the larger metropolitan areas. I plan on being that voice for Fayette County. We’re going to be looking at developing a stronger training that’s in tune with today’s demands on society and the community, and making sure that our deputies are equipped and trained. This will allow us to be a premier law enforcement agency and we strive for that.”
Stanforth is completing his 24th year as sheriff of Fayette County.
Fayette County’s voter turnout rate was extremely high for this election cycle with 72 percent of the 17,180 registered voters casting ballots, according to unofficial results.
Reach Ryan Carter at 740-313-0352.
