I entered the Sheriff’s race approximately a month ago. I had and still stand behind my intentions of seeking the office for the betterment of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office and for the people of Walton County. I have not sought this office for power, money or a higher retirement check. Effective Tuesday March 25th I will be exiting the Sheriffs race. After having spoken with my family members and my closest supporters I feel that it is in the best interest of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office and for the people of Walton County for me to now exit the Sheriff’s race. There are many supporters who feel that I shouldn’t leave the race but there are many who feel that I am making the correct choice at this time. Regardless of what some posters think; the Sheriff has NOT gotten us all to jump into the Sheriff’s race. I for one have not been encouraged to enter the race by Sheriff Johnson and many of my supporters from within the department have caught grief by supporting me in my run for Sheriff. I completely do not agree with the way that Sheriff Johnson is running his organization. It is true that the Sheriff and I were close for a period of time. I performed many different assignments while employed under Sheriff Johnson and fulfilled many different job positions simultaneously for a very long period of time. There comes a time though when one person can only do so much and when someone is working as much if not more off duty for an organization than they do when they are on the clock with no compensation or appreciation; something is wrong there. I can also tell you that I do not agree with the way he treats his employees. The employees of the Sheriff’s office and any organization for that fact deserve to come to work in a stable working environment from day to day. They are people who are protecting your homes, businesses, and who will respond at the drop of a dime to stand between you and a bullet. They will put their life on the line in order to keep you and your families safe. They deserve a leader who will stand in the gap for them. They deserve to come to the work place and not to have to worry whether or not they will be employed from day to day because they may have a different view on certain subjects than you do. I can honestly say that I have never had a part in treating any employee unfairly while employed for Sheriff Johnson and the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office will vouch for what type of leader I am. They can also tell you that I never took the discretion out of the hands of the officer. I can feel good at night knowing that I had the best of intentions when I entered this race and I will now be able to sleep at night knowing that I am doing the right thing by stepping down to hopefully eliminate some of the chance that Sheriff Johnson might have had by me pulling some votes away from a possible stronger candidate for the office.
In the beginning I thought that the spilt vote factor would not be as big of an issue that is was the last Sheriff’s election. With so many people jumping into the race I feel that the voters will begin to get confused. There are a couple of strong candidates in this race now who are very qualified and who have a very good chance of having Sheriff Johnson removed from office. I encourage some other candidates who may feel as I do to take a second look at things. Look at the capital it is going to take to advertise and really be competitive. Take a second look at how many numbers you think you can really produce at the polls. Mainly look at the possibility of Sheriff Johnson going back into office and ask yourself if it is in the best interest of the people of Walton County to gamble when there is a possibility for this man to get another 4 years in office. I am smart enough to know that the race has now gotten to crowded and that there are a couple of well qualified candidates in the race now who I could feel comfortable to call Sheriff. I do not want to take away from their chances of removing someone who has lost touch with the people from office. It is for that reason mainly that I now resign from the race.
For those supporters of mine who do visit sowal.com I would like to thank you for helping me get petitions signed and for spreading my message to your families and friends. I am working part time now at the family restaurant and see new faces every day who ask which one of us Sconiers boys are running for Sheriff. Some people do not realize how much courage it takes to resign from your job and to take a leap of faith. It takes even more courage to speak out and withdraw when you know you are fighting a losing battle. I could make a good run for the office but I don’t want to risk us all having to go through this again for another 4 years. I really appreciate your support and your prayers.
In the beginning I thought that the spilt vote factor would not be as big of an issue that is was the last Sheriff’s election. With so many people jumping into the race I feel that the voters will begin to get confused. There are a couple of strong candidates in this race now who are very qualified and who have a very good chance of having Sheriff Johnson removed from office. I encourage some other candidates who may feel as I do to take a second look at things. Look at the capital it is going to take to advertise and really be competitive. Take a second look at how many numbers you think you can really produce at the polls. Mainly look at the possibility of Sheriff Johnson going back into office and ask yourself if it is in the best interest of the people of Walton County to gamble when there is a possibility for this man to get another 4 years in office. I am smart enough to know that the race has now gotten to crowded and that there are a couple of well qualified candidates in the race now who I could feel comfortable to call Sheriff. I do not want to take away from their chances of removing someone who has lost touch with the people from office. It is for that reason mainly that I now resign from the race.
For those supporters of mine who do visit sowal.com I would like to thank you for helping me get petitions signed and for spreading my message to your families and friends. I am working part time now at the family restaurant and see new faces every day who ask which one of us Sconiers boys are running for Sheriff. Some people do not realize how much courage it takes to resign from your job and to take a leap of faith. It takes even more courage to speak out and withdraw when you know you are fighting a losing battle. I could make a good run for the office but I don’t want to risk us all having to go through this again for another 4 years. I really appreciate your support and your prayers.
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