Putnam County’s sheriff has officially entered the running to be elected to the position for a third time.
Republican Gator DeLoach submitted his campaign paperwork to the Supervisor of Elections Office last week, according to county documents. DeLoach’s entry into the race makes him the third sheriff candidate.
Also in the race are no-party affiliation hopeful Edison Edison and Republican Jon Kinney, whom DeLoach narrowly beat in the 2016 election. At the end of Election Day 2016, Kinney was declared the unofficial winner, beating DeLoach by 18 votes.
However, additional uncounted ballots were found a day later, leading to DeLoach, who in 2016 ran as a Democrat before switching parties while in office, winning the race for sheriff by 16 votes.
He would go on to be reelected in the 2020 election after defeating Edison.
The sheriff’s section of the 2016 general ballot resembles the 2024 sheriff candidate pool, with Edison having been the third sheriff candidate eight years ago.
DeLoach, Kinney and any other Republican who qualifies to run for sheriff will compete in a primary next year to see who will be the Republican candidate in the general election. Because Edison is a no-party affiliation candidate, he will automatically be on the general election ballot if he qualifies to run next year.
For election information, visit soe.putnam-fl.com or call 386-329-0224.