Baldwin County Sheriff Anthony Lowery is looking forward to his first full term as sheriff and said being elected rather than appointed feels different.
"Having the support of your community and knowing that they went through the trouble of getting out and filling in that circle in with your name is extremely humbling and I'm honored by it," said Lowery.
Lowery was previously appointed after Sheriff Huey "Hoss" Mack retired. However, he won the Republican primary on Tuesday and will not face a Democrat in the November 3 general election. After a busy campaign season, he said it feels good to focus on the future of the sheriff's office.
"I'm the furthest thing from a career politician you've ever seen," Lowery told 1819 News. "This was my first election that I've run for and you know, I've spent 20 years in the sheriff's office as a deputy, a task force deputy. So the sheriff's office has been my professional life and it's something that I've dedicated myself to and sacrificed for."
Lowery said he is thankful for the support of his wife, Tonja, their children, voters and his staff.
"I'm grateful that they elected me, that they put the person with experience and knowledge of doing the job because they like the way things are going. But what means the most to me is the men and women of the sheriff's office. They supported me through this process … They sent me texts or they gave me a phone call and told me to keep my head up and to keep working and keep fighting. I don't know that there's anything that meant more than that because that truly showed me that our organization is something to be proud of."
Looking forward, Lowery said he is immediately focused on the budget season. He said he will continue with immigration enforcement, drug enforcement and developing a digital investigative unit. He said he plans to continue expanding the force and increasing salaries.
"We've got to continue to grow and learn as the criminal element does the same thing," he said.
Lowery vowed to work with surrounding agencies and to "make sure that Baldwin County is the safest place to live."
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