Chester County incumbent sheriff Underwood wins again

The first black sheriff in Chester County history will get four more years as the top law enforcement officer in the rural South Carolina county.

Incumbent Alex Underwood demolished former sheriff Richard Smith Tuesday in a rematch of the 2012 election.

Underwood’s stunning victory as the only black person to ever win county-wide in Chester since Reconstruction brought in thousands of white voters who this year supported Underwood after he narrowly won in 2012.

Underwood beat Smith by more than 22 percentage points Tuesday. Just four years ago Underwood, as a write-in challenger who had never held office after 30 years as a police officer, defeated then-incumbent Smith by five points in a fairly close three-way race.

On Tuesday, Underwood ran roughshod over Smith in a race expected to be close because of his tough stances against political heavyweights and because of his race.

“I thank all the people who supported me this time – even more than the last time,” Underwood said late Tuesday. “People saw that they had someone they could trust, and more, a sheriff’s office they could trust and depend on.”

Underwood, 53, said that the vote totals in Chester County, where about 60 percent of the 33,000-plus population is white and just under 40 percent black, showed that people understand that law enforcement is colorblind when the public protected by police officers.

Sheriff Underwood declared war on gangs after Chester City Council member Odell Williams was killed by gang members in a 2014 crime where the shooter was sentenced this summer to life in prison. Underwood’s public statements to gangs – “I’m coming for you,” he told gang members who had made death threats against Underwood – clearly resonated with voters.

“People seemed to realize what I told them was true, that I was not going to stand for gangs in Chester County,” Underwood said. “I have done exactly what I told people I would do – make neighborhoods safer for people.”

A 30-year police officer, Underwood made a national splash with his Project Storm tough love treatment plan for juveniles to try to keep them out of trouble that was featured on national television. Underwood also took a Pennsylvania boy on a hunting trip after a mix-up over the boy believing the trip was in Chester County, Pa., and gained national recognition for it.

Yet, aside from his tender side with young people, Underwood also showed he was unafraid to take on Chester politicians over more resources for his officers.

The sheriff in Chester serves a four-year term and makes around $57,000 per year.

Smith, 49, was sheriff from 2008 until 2012 when Underwood beat him. Smith ran this year as a Republican after running as Democrat in 2004 and 2008. Smith sought to become the first Chester County Republican to win county-wide office in recent memory but was beaten badly.

Smith was gracious in defeat saying: “The people spoke. I have no issue with that.”

Smith said it is far too early to consider whether he will make another run for the office in 2020.

This story was originally published November 8, 2016 at 9:42 PM with the headline "Chester County incumbent sheriff Underwood wins again."