Boone County Sheriff Dwayne Carey is heading toward another four-year term after fending off challenger Charles Blair in the Democratic primary Tuesday.
Carey, who has held the position of Boone County’s primary law enforcement officer since 2005, led Blair by about 82% of the vote with all ballots counted, according to the Boone County Clerk’s office. Blair garnered about 18% of the vote.
There was no Republican nominee for the position, meaning that Carey will run unopposed in the Nov. 5 general election.
Despite his victory, Carey didn’t spend any time worrying about a celebration. Instead, he spent Tuesday evening with his family, more focused on winning the next pickleball point as opposed to the ballot counts in the center of town.
Carey plans to continue his work for emergency responders by developing the regional training facility and the early childhood care center at the Boone County Sheriff’s Department.
He will also continue to build partnerships with other departments and offices throughout Missouri, assisting these offices to build accreditation and catalyzing a driving course training for Boone County deputies.
However, Wednesday will be business as usual at the Boone County Sheriff’s Department.
“August 7th will be no different than the 6th, or the days before the 6th,” Carey told the Missourian before election night. “I’ve got a dynamite commission and a lot of things I want to get accomplished, and so right now it’s all about keeping the momentum going.”
Blair’s campaign was his second challenge of Carey in four years. In 2020, Blair ran as a Republican candidate for sheriff and lost to Carey in the general election.
Blair campaigned on a platform of improving transparency and reducing employee turnover in the sheriff’s department. He was a Boone County deputy from 2016 to 2020.
When asked what he would tell his opponent, Blair held true to the cornerstones of his campaign.
“I want the sheriff’s office to stop using tax dollars on things that don’t make the public safer, establish a civilian review board and just be transparent,” he said.
However, this isn’t the end of Blair’s public involvement. In the future, he plans to work with lawmakers to improve the accountability of law enforcement agencies in Missouri, especially regarding internal investigations.
