Sheriff's primary results are surprising

The three automated telephone calls I received on my home phone in the final 24 hours of primary voting from Wilson County Sheriff Wayne Gay should have given me a clue, but Gay had always been a meticulous campaigner, so I didn't think much of it. Over his 28 years in office, Gay had always "run scared" at election time, behaving as if the weakest candidate were a serious threat. He had also been a consummate fundraiser, scaring off many potential challengers who could not match his campaign treasury.

But when the results were in from the Democratic primary last night, Gay had tasted defeat for the first time, losing to challenger Calvin Woodard by 2,500 votes. I'm sure I'm not the only person who was shocked. Gay had run his usual high-profile campaign, in fact, doing more than in the past to keep his name before voters. Round re-election signs were planted in yards and at intersections around town. A campaign headquarters was rented. Mailings went out. And then there were all the automated calls pleading for votes.

Woodard has to be commended for his victory. He had begun campaigning early, appearing, for example in the 2009 Wilson Christmas Parade as a candidate for sheriff. Although he must have spent far less than Gay (I haven't seen campaign finance figures), he got more votes for his buck than Gay did. It's hard to unseat a well-established sheriff, who as legendary Richmond County Sheriff Raymond Goodman (now deceased) liked to point out, is a "constitutional officer" who holds more power than any other single local official. Many N.C. sheriffs have used that power to build strong political organizations. A few have used that power for their own benefit. Gay, as his campaign literature pointed out, presided over an expansion of the Sheriff's Office and an overall reduction in county crime. He also turned the hot potato of animal enforcement into an asset and satisfied the animal lovers who had been complaining for years of poor enforcement of the animal ordinance and poor treatment of animals. After some clashes in the past, he had built a strong relationship with the Wilson Police Department.

Gay's demise might be, in part, a reflection of the public's impatience with incumbents in general. Gay has spent nearly three decades running a highly visible law enforcement operation. During that time, he has, no doubt, made some enemies, but he has avoided any major scandals and has demanded no appearance of misconduct among his employees. Putting the office in a negative light was a sure way to lose a job at the Sheriff's Office. Along the way, he has expanded the office with motorcycle patrols, traffic enforcement, a horse patrol and even an airplane.

Woodard will take over at the end of this year, barring any unforeseen reversals, and will, no doubt, reorganize the department to suit his philosophy and style. Some familiar faces in the department will lose their jobs because of their loyalty to Gay. That's the way the system works. The real test will come later as he and his new hires enforce laws, investigate crimes and attempt to build confidence among the public.