PALESTINE —
Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor once again flexed his political muscle in Tuesday’s Republican Primary, earning 69 percent of the vote to easily defeat challenger Richard Welch.
The 49-year-old Taylor, who was first elected Anderson County sheriff in 2004, ended up with 3,209 votes (69.1 percent of the total votes cast), compared to 1,432 for Welch (30.9 percent) who is a Palestine police officer.
Taylor has now been involved in four elections for Anderson County sheriff, winning all in landslide fashion by more than a 2-to-1 margin.
No other candidates filed for the office, so Tuesday’s victory means Taylor will begin his third term as sheriff on Jan. 1, 2013.
The victorious candidate said his decisive political wins are “a direct reflection on the hard work my staff does.
“I appreciate the voters for their confidence,” Taylor said Tuesday night at the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office where approximately two dozen of his supporters were monitoring election results. “I also thank my family and staff for their support. Most of all, I thank God because all blessings come from God and this is a blessing to be sheriff of Anderson County.”
Texas’ party primary elections were originally slotted in their usual spot in early March, but got pushed back to late May due to legal challenges regarding redistricting.
Taylor said he believed the later date helped Welch and other challengers.
“I do think stretching it out further gave any opponent of any incumbent the opportunity to push their message longer,” Taylor said. “We’re going to keep on doing the best job we can do. That’s what the voters elect us to do.”
Welch, a newcomer to the political arena, thanked his supporters and wished Taylor well during his upcoming term.
“I appreciate all the people who did support me, and I’d like to congratulate Greg Taylor and I hope he’ll do a good job the next four years as sheriff,” Welch said. “The election has been fun and it’s been an experience.”
Welch did not totally discount a future run at public office.
“You never know what the future holds,” Welch said. “When one door closes, God opens another.”
Paul Stone may be contacted via e-mail at pstone@palestineherald.com
Local Scene
Related Photos
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Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor and his wife watch results of the Republican Primary election race at the county jail Tuesday evening. Taylor, the incumbent, defeated opponent Richard Welch with 3,209 votes over Welch’s 1,432 votes. CHERIL VERNON
Discussion
Taylor wins third term as sheriff
Incumbent earned 69 percent of vote over opponent
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