COLUMBIA, S.C. — The first day of early voting for the June primary across the state has concluded, with voters set to choose among candidates in various races, including the Republican primary for Lexington County Sheriff.
Residents will decide whether to re-elect the current sheriff, Jay Koon, or opt for one of his two challengers: Billy Warren and Alan Driggers.
“This might hurt to say, but I'm only doing this because our sheriff's department is in decline,” said Warren, a candidate with 32 years of law enforcement experience, including with the sheriff’s department. Warren expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of law enforcement in the county. “We are so short of deputies and correctional officers, this is a critical status for this county,” he stated.
Sheriff Koon, who has been in office since 2015, is seeking another term and disputes his opponents' claims. “I stand on my work. Obviously, we are not perfect, but like I said, we are a lot better than we were,” Koon said. He added, “We are coming off a record high year both with hiring up 48 percent and, more importantly to me, separations or departures are down 52%.”
Retired Lexington County Lieutenant Alan Driggers is also in the race and emphasizes the need for more deputies. “I want to put an end to the staffing crisis at the sheriff's department,” Driggers said. He recalled an incident two years ago when Richland deputies had to patrol a few schools in Lexington County due to a shortage of school resource officers. “That just bothered me as a retiree, it kind of embarrassed me, and as a taxpayer, it kind of made me angry,” Driggers stated.
Koon acknowledged ongoing challenges but emphasized improvements under his leadership. “It’s certainly talking season and there have been a lot of problems and not many solutions. You could go to any agency in America, and we would be talking about the same thing,” Koon remarked.
Warren criticized the department’s handling of crime statistics, claiming, “How can you report crime is down without responding to all the calls? That's impossible.” Koon, however, noted that crime numbers in most property categories are down by double digits, though he admitted there are sometimes wait times. “Certainly, I think everybody would agree a crime in progress would take priority over somebody with a lesser call. Even though it is important, it doesn't need to be handled right this second,” Koon explained.
Despite their differences, all candidates agree on the importance of local elections. “It's easier to hold these elected officials more accountable and to make sure that we are getting the services we expect from the sheriff's department and other office holders,” Driggers concluded.
No Democrats are running for sheriff, so unless a write-in candidate emerges, the winner of this primary will likely be the next sheriff of Lexington County.