<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0Rp9XO_1GtRUc1u00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Rp9XO_1GtRUc1u00" width="640" height="482" ><figcaption>Sampson Sheriff Jimmy Thornton speaks with his wife, Betsy, Tuesday night at an election party held at the Coharie Country Club as the polls began to close and vote totals started rolling in. Thornton defeated his opponent, Donald Edwards, with unofficial results showing he received 58 percent of the total votes cast. Dylan Atwood | Sampson Independent</figcaption></figure>The unofficial results for the Sampson County Sheriff’s race Tuesday night showed Jimmy Thornton being re-elected for another four years. The votes will become official after Nov. 13.Thornton, the Republican candidate, received 58 percent of the vote in comparison to Donald Edwards, the Democratic contender, who received 42 percent of the total ballots cast.Thornton said this past Thursday that his priorities remain the same as they were when he first became sheriff for Sampson County 24 years ago — “to serve the people of this county, and always putting them first, before (political) parties,.” The sheriff emphasized that he’ll “never put the party above the people … After the election’s over, it doesn’t matter what your politics are; you’ve got to lead.”He also quashed rumors that arose during the election, ones carried on social media and beyond that pointed to plans to step away from his office before the four years of his seventh term end.“I have no intention of stepping down,” Thornton insisted.“Now, I’m old; that’s obvious … None of us knows what the good Lord has in store for us, but my age is not ever going to stop me from doing what needs to be done.”The sheriff stressed his dedication to serving those who have supported him.“Being in an elected office is not just about the individual,” he emphasized.“It’s about everybody you represent.”Thornton noted that rumors of him stepping down have “always” been around, and that he resents it.“If the people of this county can’t trust me, then they can’t trust anybody,” he remarked, “Clearly, my record will show that I can be trusted.”Thornton acknowledged that a few people have asked him about his rumored exit, and he explained why he thinks those people felt concerned to ask.“Their fear is, ‘We know what we’ve got in you; we don’t know what we’ll get when you’re not there.”Thornton added that while some people like to see others fail, “failure is not in (his) DNA.”He said that even if he had lost the election Tuesday night, he would’ve held his head high.Thornton stated “how good” the people have been to him, and reiterated that he has no plans to disappoint anybody.After winning over 40 percent of the county’s approval in this year’s election, Edwards, Clinton’s retired police chief, mentioned Thursday that he has considered possibly running again in the future.“I actually wanted to take time to kind of sit back and look back at the experience,” he reflected.Edwards said he’s talked with a lot of supporters who have encouraged him to consider running again.“So, it is something that I am considering,” he acknowledged.“My biggest thing is the people in this county, and making sure that we see the changes that we need to see.”Edwards expressed that he “met great people” during his campaign all across the county.“We’ve got 19 different townships across this county, and each one’s diverse,” Edwards commented, “and each one has different concerns.”He stressed the importance of meeting people where they’re at and actively engaging to ensure they’re “adequately and efficiently served.”Edwards wanted to be sure to congratulate Thornton on the win during his comments, remarking, “I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Edwards stated regarding having chosen to run against Thornton, “and I think we have to support law enforcement, but we always have the right to question, also. We have the right to question our leaders.”Edwards gave thanks to the people who supported him. “Especially my family, because they stood behind me,” he expressed. “They always stood behind me in my law enforcement career, and they’re really the strength of what keeps me going.”Edwards also thanked everyone who supported him along his campaign journey.“While politics is very interesting, it actually has been enjoyable this past year,” he remarked.The former police chief concluded his remarks saying he looked forward to the future, working together with the community and moving forward “in unity.”</div></body>

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The unofficial results for the Sampson County Sheriff’s race Tuesday night showed Jimmy Thornton being re-elected for another four years. The votes will become official after Nov. 13.Thornton, the Republican candidate, received 58 percent of the vote in comparison to Donald Edwards, the Democratic contender, who received 42 percent of the total ballots cast.

Local voters returnThornton to office

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The unofficial results for the Sampson County Sheriff’s race Tuesday night showed Jimmy Thornton being re-elected for another four years. The votes will be

Local voters returnThornton to office

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