(Bentonville, AR)--Benton County Sheriff Candidate Mike Jones thanked family and friends for their support Tuesday night before finally conceding to his opponent Kelly Cradduck.
"I am proud to say that I can look myself in the mirror tomorrow," Jones told the crowd at his watch party in Rogers. "Thank you all so much."
Jones conceded after the Benton County website's unofficial numbers showed Cradduck taking 58 percent of the vote with all 57 precincts reporting. Jones says although he will not be the next Sheriff of Benton County, he's happy with the way he ran his campaign.
"It was an honest campaign, a positive campaign, and I'm extremely proud of my family, my supporters, my friends who worked so hard on this," he says.
"It's a long road," Cradduck said. "It has been 6 years total for me to get to this point so it still feels very surreal," said Cradduck.
"I want to make sure that people know the position of sheriff is a servant. That is what you are. You are a servant to the people and I want to have that
servant mentality and attitude and bring that back into the sheriff's office," said Cradduck.
And Cradduck has a lot of ideas for change at the sheriff's office including adding new technology such as compressed natural gas vehicles.
Cradduck also thanked his most fervant supporter.
Cradduck says he hopes to meet with current Sheriff Keith Ferguson soon so there will be a smooth transition of power.
Numbers showed Jones trailing by double digits early Tuesday night, but he remained hopeful that his efforts to reach out to voters over the last few months would pay off.
"We knew going in we would be behind an we would have to make up ground," he says. "I've been here and served these folks for thirty eight years, I think the world of this county the citizens of this county and I congratulate my opponent."
Jones says he will take a day off, and then return to his position as a Captain at the Sheriff's Office.
"I am proud to say that I can look myself in the mirror tomorrow," Jones told the crowd at his watch party in Rogers. "Thank you all so much."
Jones conceded after the Benton County website's unofficial numbers showed Cradduck taking 58 percent of the vote with all 57 precincts reporting. Jones says although he will not be the next Sheriff of Benton County, he's happy with the way he ran his campaign.
"It was an honest campaign, a positive campaign, and I'm extremely proud of my family, my supporters, my friends who worked so hard on this," he says.
"It's a long road," Cradduck said. "It has been 6 years total for me to get to this point so it still feels very surreal," said Cradduck.
"I want to make sure that people know the position of sheriff is a servant. That is what you are. You are a servant to the people and I want to have that
servant mentality and attitude and bring that back into the sheriff's office," said Cradduck.
And Cradduck has a lot of ideas for change at the sheriff's office including adding new technology such as compressed natural gas vehicles.
Cradduck also thanked his most fervant supporter.
Cradduck says he hopes to meet with current Sheriff Keith Ferguson soon so there will be a smooth transition of power.
Numbers showed Jones trailing by double digits early Tuesday night, but he remained hopeful that his efforts to reach out to voters over the last few months would pay off.
"We knew going in we would be behind an we would have to make up ground," he says. "I've been here and served these folks for thirty eight years, I think the world of this county the citizens of this county and I congratulate my opponent."
Jones says he will take a day off, and then return to his position as a Captain at the Sheriff's Office.
