SLIDELL – St. Tammany Sheriff Randy Smith will head into a third term following an overwhelming victory on Saturday in the statewide elections.
Smith came close to doubling the vote total of his next closest competitor in the three-man field.
The popular incumbent sheriff received 40,217 votes for 62 percent, while second place finisher Tommy Williams, a former Slidell police officer, had 31 percent with 20,143 votes.
John Gurba, a former military man and police officer, received eight percent with 4,898 votes.
Although attacked strongly during public forums by Williams and Gurba, Smith stood on his record of low crime in the parish, as well as a high solve rate for major crimes that continues to keep St. Tammany residents safe, even as they live near one of the worst cities in the nation for violent crime.
“My top goal as sheriff has always been to maintain the public trust and keep our families safe,” Smith said. “I think it’s clear the people of the parish believe we have done that, and I promise we will continue to keep criminals out of here or put them in jail if they dare to come to the North Shore.”
Smith also believed his focus on pay and benefits for his staff was a key to victory.
“We have one of the best benefit packages and best pay of any parish in the state,” he said. “A top priority for me is to keep my deputies and their families happy since we want them staying with us and not leaving for other agencies. I had great support from them in this campaign and I think that showed they like where they are at and support what we have done for them.”
Smith is now leading the third largest Sheriff’s Office in the state and expanded during his past term to have four district patrol stations, along with four sub-stations.
“That has given us better visibility and quicker response times,” he said.
Smith also managed a challenging time in recent years when parish revenue declined. After residents defeated a sales tax renewal five times that funded jail operations, the parish cut back the money they were giving the Sheriff’s Office. However, Smith found a way to tighten his budget and has managed with less money, even squeezing out enough funds to purchase a mobile emergency center that he was criticized for by his opponents.
Smith has been in law enforcement for 36 years, starting as a road deputy with the Sheriff’s Office before running for Slidell chief of police in 2010, where he won two terms before deciding to run for sheriff.
He was elected in 1987 and has served two terms, now set to begin his third term next year.