In what was probably the largest gathering of Republicans in the history of the Franklin County Republican unit, more than 400 party activists gathered in Rocky Mount on Saturday to nominate the GOP’s candidate for sheriff. Incumbent Ewell Hunt, who is completing his first term in office and is the county’s first elected Republican sheriff (at least in the modern era), handily defeated Salem policeman Greg Austin for the right to run on the Republican ticket in November.
Saturday’s vote was critical as Sheriff Hunt has been under fire from the local media for his actions preceding a shooting by one of his off-duty deputies on Memorial Day that killed the deputy’s wife and wounded a Virginia state policeman. A group of county residents is also circulating a petition asking the circuit court to remove Sheriff Hunt from office.
Saturday’s vote, however, demonstrates that not all Franklin County residents are displeased with Hunt’s performance in office. Supporters praised the sheriff’s efforts to gain accreditation for his office as well as a crime rate that has declined during Hunt’s term. The father of a teenager murdered in Franklin County earlier this year commended the personal attributes of Sheriff Hunt, pledging his support for the embattled sheriff who, he says, demonstrated an amazing degree of dedication to the case and concern for the family.
Ewell Hunt will be facing two other candidates in November–independents Bill Overton, son of the county’s longtime sheriff (also the man Hunt defeated by 222 votes in 2007) and Rick Arrington. Greg Austin has yet to decide if he will also mount an independent candidacy. Three-way races can be a political free-for-all; if Austin decides to make it a four-way race? All bets are clearly off.
This race adds to the growing list of contentious races that potentially will make Franklin County the political epicenter of Virginia this fall. The epic battles between Dels. Charles Poindexter and Ward Armstrong and between Sens. Bill Stanley and Roscoe Reynolds and independent Jeff Evans also encompass most of Franklin County, almost certainly driving up Republican and Democrat turnout. Presumably most of the Stanley-Poindexter voters will also vote for Hunt, but who will get the votes of the Reynolds-Armstrong voters? To-date, Franklin County Democrats have not fielded a nominee. Bill Overton is a Democrat-turned-independent. Will he suffice in the absence of a card-carrying Democrat? Keep an eye on Franklin County.
