2 candidates head into runoff for Charleston County sheriff | News

Greg Kitchens and Carl Ritchie will meet again in a runoff to determine who will face incumbent Democrat Kristin Graziano in the November general election in the race to become Charleston County's next cop.

With more than 90 percent of unofficial results posted to scvotes.org less than three hours after polls closed on June 11, Kitchens had won 44 percent of the vote, to Ritchie's 42 percent. The two will meet again in the runoff elections on June 25.

Kitchens and Ritchie ousted Rocky Burke and Rick Keys, who were also running for the Republican seat. They were vying for the opportunity to challenge current Charleston County Sheriff Graziano in November. She faces no party opposition after a judge agreed to block a potential candidate from the ballot.

Graziano became the first Democrat to hold the office in three decades when she defeated longtime Republican Sheriff Al Cannon in 2020. She is also the first woman and openly gay politician to head a sheriff's office in Carolina from South.

The Charleston County Sheriff's Office recently came under fire after the federal government launched an investigation into the jail Graziano runs to examine a possible pattern of abuse following a series of deaths.

Each Republican candidate has previously held positions in public safety and has slightly different ideas about how they would like to run the sheriff's office. They told the Post and Courier their platform points ahead of the election.

Kitchens, who is retired from the Marine Corps and previously worked as a deputy with the sheriff's office, said his experiences gave him a “great background.”

He said he would draw on his experience in the Marine Corps to focus on “strong leadership, common sense and connections to communities.”

Kitchens wants to help solve the staffing problem facing law enforcement nationwide. He believes strong leadership, high standards, demanding training and a culture of professionalism will help fill vacant positions.

Ritchie, the former Mount Pleasant police chief, said he is running for sheriff to provide stronger leadership. He said he plans to use a data-driven model for proactive, community policing and remains committed to addressing residents' concerns.

It is important to him to operate a “safe and secure” prison and to prioritize mental health care during encounters with law enforcement and incarceration.

He said he built trust and maintained relationships with everyone he served throughout his many years in law enforcement.