Two of the four Republican candidates for Garland County sheriff who did not garner enough votes to make it into the June 10 runoff endorsed one of their former opponents, Scotty Dodd, on Monday.
The two candidates, Ronald Dunn and Tom Hickox, endorsed Dodd during a press conference at Garland County Republican Headquarters.
"I'm here running for this election because Garland County needs a change," Dodd said in a speech accepting the endorsements. "We've got to have some changes in there and I don't it is going to come from inside the department if somebody gets elected from in there."
During the May 20 preferential primary, Dodd's opponent in the runoff, Fred Hawthorn, received 3,908 votes, while Dodd received 3,315 votes, Dunn received 1,314 votes and Hickox received 999 votes.
Dunn said Dodd "would make the necessary changes" the Garland County Sheriff's Department needs.
"We've got to get out of this rut and I believe Scotty Dodd is going to get us out," Dunn said.
Hickox said the sheriff's department needs "positive, meaningful change and it has to start at the top."
"If you don't elect the right person in there, there will be no change," Hickox said.
Dodd, according to his campaign announcement, started his law enforcement career in 1976 as a patrolman with the Hot Springs Police Department and later went into investigations. Dodd then went to work for the Arkansas State Police in 1985. When he started his career with the ASP, he was in the Highway Patrol Division and then went into the Investigation Division, and now is a senior special agent in the Criminal Investigation Division.
According to his campaign announcement, Hawthorn has 25 years of law enforcement experience through service with the Hot Springs Police Department and Garland County Sheriff's Department.
Hawthorn has served as captain of the Garland County Mounted Patrol and Mounted Search and Rescue Team since 1993.
Multiple attempts to reach Hawthorn were unsuccessful on Tuesday.
Sheriff Larry Sanders announced last year that he will not seek re-election.
Early voting for the runoff in the Republican primary begins on June 3.
The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Rodney Neighbors and Independent candidate Mike McCormick in the general election in November.
Local on 05/28/2014