The nine candidates on the ticket for the Sheriff of Spartanburg County participated in a debate Thursday night moderated by WORD's Tara Servatius and Joey Hudson, discussing various issues amidst a controversial time for the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office.
Several of the candidates speaking at the Spartanburg County Sheriffs debateMatthew Causey
Attendees at the debate commonly highlighted transparency and fighting corruption as their big ticket items in this election.
"Someone that's not scared to stand up and be out right with the people and let the people know what's going on behind the scenes," is what one attendee said was a deciding factor for them in this race.
Several of the candidates speaking at the Spartanburg County Sheriffs debateMatthew Causey
Another attendee said the same, explaining that they were a supporter of Sheriff Chuck Wright in the past, but the recent investigation surrounding him has brought corruption and transparency to the forefront of their deciding factors in the Sheriff's race as well.
Throughout the debate, every candidate directly addressed this issue and pointed to some of the ways they hope to tackle this issue and restore the public’s trust in the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office.
WORD's Tara and Joey moderating the debateMatthew Causey
Drug problems in the state were also among the top-button issues attendees expressed as important in this election.
"Someone who is gonna clean up the drug problem," said another attendee. "Because I feel like the break-ins that are going on around the county would end if we were able to clean up the drug problems."
You can watch the full livestream of the debate on our Facebook page here.
