Why I am Running for Sheriff

My wife, Kelly and I first started visiting Blairsville 4 years ago on vacation.  While here, we became acquainted with the people, traditions and the beautiful mountains. After one of our visits, we went back home, sold our house and moved here making Union County our home. That was over 2 years, 9 months ago.  Once we settled in and began to make new friends, more and more people through church, work and civic organizations learned of my law enforcement and business background. Around September of last year, a group of citizens, Republicans and Democrats, organized and approached me and asked if I would be interested in running for Sheriff of Union County in the 2008 election. I was honored, but told them that I would need to talk to my family and think about it.  Twice, I tried to meet with Scott Stephens in an attempt to talk to him to no avail. After much discussion with my family and civic leaders, I decided to enter into the race.  I have only one reason for wanting to be Sheriff, civic duty.  Civic duty is what made me enter into law enforcement as a Police Explorer at the age of 16. My father told me:

We all owe a debt of service to the community we live in.

I do not share Scott Stephens’s opinion, that if you are not from here you are not able to lead the sheriff’s office.  I was taught to judge a person by the way they live their lives, not where they are from.  A Sheriff should represent everyone in the county. Many of our citizens have lived here for generations. These good people have established the rich traditions we all enjoy today.  Many other citizens like my wife and I moved here because of these same traditions. By trying to separate the two, we are dividing us as a community.  We are all Union County citizens. I have been going door-to-door in our county for the past 5 months. One thing has become very clear to me. Union County citizens are not overly concerned about where you are from.  They want a Sheriff they can trust to do the job. They want a Sheriff that will treat everyone fairly and equally regardless of whom they are or who they know. They want a Sheriff who will return their phone calls.

If elected Sheriff, I make you those promises.