Months after his disputed one-vote victory in a Louisiana sheriff’s race was tossed by a court, a Democrat was decisively elected over his Republican rival on his second try Saturday, The Guardian reports. Henry Whitehorn got 53% of the vote in Saturday’s election in northwest Louisiana’s Caddo parish. He’ll be the first Black sheriff in the parish – the word Louisiana uses for county – after defeating John Nickelson, who is white. Returns from the Louisiana secretary of state’s office show Whitehorn defeated Nickelson by more than 4,000 votes this time. Turnout was considerably higher in the second race. Some show 65,239 people voted in Saturday’s sheriff’s race, up from 43,247 in November. A former head of the Louisiana state police and an ex-Shreveport police chief, Whitehorn won by a single vote in November. Ccourts ordered a new election after finding evidence that two people illegally voted twice and four others voted despite being ineligible.
Whitehorn came out of retirement to run for sheriff after longtime Sheriff Steve Prator announced his retirement. “I’m troubled by the violent crime that’s plaguing our community. I had retired and I could have just sat on the sidelines, if I chose to, and watched. But I’ve been called to serve. I couldn’t just sit and watch this community suffer,” Whitehorn told the Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate. Nickelson conceded Saturday night. “I wish him every success because his success will be Caddo parish’s success,” Nickelson said. Whitehorn will be sworn in on July 1, replacing interim sheriff Jay Long, who took over from Prator.