Write-in candidate claims victory as Metcalfe County Sheriff

(WBKO)
Published: Nov. 6, 2019 at 10:01 PM CST
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"Ricky was a good friend of mine and a lot of people in this community, he was a friend of this community," said Metcalfe County Sheriff, Lonnie Hodges. "So, to have people that you don't even know write your name on a ballot it's humbling. I didn't really know how to prepare for that."

It was an emotional day yesterday for Lonnie Hodges, the newly elected Sheriff of Metcalfe County.

Earlier this year, Sheriff Ricky Brooks had appointed Hodges as Deputy Sheriff with the assumption that Hodges would become Sheriff if Brooks died.

"Ricky was a patriot, he was a purple heart veteran in the United States army. Retired Trooper like myself, we'd work stuff together, played together. He's just a good man, a good father, a good husband so. A lot of the reason I choose to do this was because of him," said Hodges.

Brooks lost his battle to leukemia in August of this year, and after his death Hodges took office.

But it wasn't a done deal for the new Sheriff, controversy ensued after the Metcalfe County Republican Committee nominated Charles Costelllo.

"I don't know what their thinking or thought process was. Immediately it garnered a lot of attention after it occurred so I think a lot of people had the same reaction I did. Which it seemed, shady." said Hodges.

But the people spoke at the ballot box yesterday. Around 2200 names were submitted as write-in candidates for Metcalfe County sheriff, each name individually verified.

Lonnie Hodges claimed victory as the new Sheriff of Metcalfe County with a little over 1,300 votes. Hodges says this isn't politics to him, this is just police work.

Proving that democracy works, at the ballot box.