Oktibbeha County Sheriff Steve Gladney will remain in his seat for another term after affidavits ballots were counted Wednesday.
Gladney won with 2,720 votes, 50.35 percent of the total, according to a representative with the Oktibbeha County Circuit Clerk’s office. Democratic primary challenger John Rice finished with 2,498 votes, or 46.24 percent.
Brandon Gann, a third Democrat who ran for the seat, received 184 votes, 3.41 percent of the total.
There is no Republican running for sheriff.
Gladney, who was first elected in 2011, garnered slightly more than 50 percent of the vote from machine and absentee totals tallied Tuesday night. Election officials processed 92 Democratic affidavit ballots on Wednesday, but Rice did not close the gap enough to force a runoff.
After learning the news on Wednesday, Gladney said he breathed a sigh of relief. He said he’s glad the election is over with, because it’s stressful to go through.
“I’m grateful to the voters and citizens of Oktibbeha County,” Gladney said. “It’s a humbling experience to go through this. … I’m just grateful that they have the confidence in me to re-elect me for the third time.”
In a written statement, Rice congratulated Gladney and thanked supporters for their “thoughts, prayers, support and encouragement.”
“I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and encouragement throughout this campaign,” Rice wrote. “I could not have done this without everyone’s support. Thank you all and God bless.”
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