Sheriff Jackie Matheny got one step closer to a sixth term of office Tuesday night after besting one of his former investigators, Bobby Edwards, and carrying all but one precinct on his way to victory.
Matheny took the Democratic nomination for Warren County Sheriff by defeating Edwards by a count of 3,477 to 1,988. The margin represents a winning percentage of 64 to 36 percent.
It marks the third election in which Matheny has won 64 to 36 percent. Matheny has been contested every year since he first won election in 1994.
Edwards’ loss comes despite an aggressive campaign in which he outspent the incumbent by a wide margin. He took only the Midway precinct, with the victory there representing only the third precinct Matheny has ever lost.
“My hat is off to Bobby,” Matheny said. “He worked hard on his campaign.”
With the win, Matheny says it is too early for celebration with two competitors waiting in the general election.
Matheny advances to face two more of his former employees in August. The independent candidates include former sheriff’s chief deputy Danice Taylor, who now works as a lawman in neighboring Grundy County, and former sheriff’s deputy Michael “Doc” Smith, who served as a deputy under Matheny and his predecessor Mason Black. Both Taylor and Smith have run against Matheny before.
Matheny said being sheriff is something where it is hard to maintain popularity over the long run.
“If I do a good job, I make people mad. If I do a bad job, I make people mad. You’re going to make people mad either way you go,” Matheny said. “All I can promise is I’m going to continue doing a good job.”