Jeff Long won a heated race for Williamson County Sheriff yesterday, receiving half the total votes on a ballot heavy with eight candidates.
Former sheriff Ricky Headley resigned in February on a plea bargain, following his arrest in a prescription drug abuse sting. His position opened up with two years remaining in the term.
28-year-old Vanderbilt University student Tara Sanders said Long’s experience swayed her decision over the other seven candidates on the ballot.
“Primarily because he was the only one that has a law degree, so he knows the law and if you’re going to be a sheriff it’d probably be a good thing to know what’s going on. He’s got 34 years of experience, he worked with the TBI, put two sheriffs behind bars when he was in the TBI. He seemed like he was just a pretty qualified guy.”
For the past 10 years, Long has worked as the assistant district attorney serving four counties, including Williamson. Prior to that, he spent 14 years at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
WEB EXTRA:
About 76-hundred people early voted in Williamson County this year, the most out of any county in Middle Tennessee.
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