BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.–Nine former Berkeley County Sheriff candidates have endorsed Duane Lewis in the upcoming runoff.
The official announcement came Monday morning at Unity Park on East Main Street in Moncks Corner where Lewis and the other nine candidates spoke.
“It is truly an honor to have these men on my team as we move forward in securing the Republican nomination for Berkeley County Sheriff and offering the people of Berkeley County a fresh start at the Sheriff’s Office,” stated Lewis.
Rick Ollic, Dan Isgett, Chab Clarke, Omar Brown, John Waters, Ricky Driggers, Marty Housand, Jerry Merrithew, and Frank Fuda publically endorsed Lewis at the location.
“I am truly humbled by the amount of support I have received during this campaign but particularly over the past week. Here with me today stands over 225 years of law enforcement experience,” Lewis stated. “These men have strived to make positive changes in their communities. They have apprehended some of society’s most dangerous criminals. They have built relationships with many of our neighborhoods. And they have improved the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of people.”
Lewis, the deputy chief of law enforcement at Santee Cooper, will face North Charleston Police Officer Brian Adams on May 5th in a runoff.
During the recent Republican primary, Adams received 23.75% of the votes—the most out of all the candidates running.
Lewis came in second place with 13.05% of the votes.
This isn’t Adams’ first time running for Berkeley County sheriff. In June 2014, he ran against DeWitt. He’s hoping the second time around is the charm.
“I think it was a blessing in disguise. I got so much experience. I learned a lot during the last campaign, and I think it helped me tremendously through this campaign,” stated Adams. “I’m prepared. I’m ready to hit the ground running. I’ve got good ideas, new ideas and a new direction I can bring to the sheriff’s office, and we can get back to serving the county.”
At this time, Moncks Corner Police Chief Chad Caldwell and Robert Bittner have not stated if they will endorse either candidate for sheriff.
The candidate who wins the May 5th runoff will face Democratic candidate Anthony Smalls on June 9th.
To view the statements issued by the nine former candidates, click here.
[yop_poll id=”11″]
Note: poll set to only allow one vote per person.
Recent Comments