Breeden holds lead over Belk as votes come in for York County Republican sheriff's runoff

Tony Breeden held a lead over Michael Belk as precincts arrived for the hotly contested York County Republican sheriff's primary runoff, according to voting numbers released Tuesday evening.

Breeden had counted more than 54 percent of 8,300 votes as of 8:30 p.m., according to S.C. Election Commission figures posted online. Belk had just under 46%, with 39 precincts out of 100.

The York County Voter Registration and Elections Office said about 17,000 votes were cast in Monday's runoff.

The winner is almost guaranteed to take office in January 2025 because no Democratic or other candidates ran in the November general election.

Turnout was about 9% of York County's 187,802 registered voters, according to the York County Board of Elections. About 1,800 of those votes came from last week's early voting.

The sheriff's runoff was the only race on the ballot in York County.

More than 25,000 people voted for sheriff in the June 11 primary, where Belk was the first to get votes and Breeden finished close to advance to the runoff.

Who are Tony Breeden and Michael Belk?

The two-week runoff turned into a perceived battle between Belk, a top administrator in the Rock Hill Police Department, and street cop Breeden, who presented himself as the populist voice of the common man.

Breeden, 55, retired as a lieutenant after 27 years on the Rock Hill police force. He worked primarily in patrol and traffic and spent 25 years on SWAT.

Breeden ran a campaign focused on fighting crime, protecting victims and protecting public safety.

Belk, 53, is the deputy chief of the Rock Hill Police Department with 31 years of law enforcement experience. Belk worked as a patrolman and detective before working his way up to Police Station Number Two in Rock Hill.

The sheriff's position carries public safety responsibilities for nearly 300,000 York County residents. The sheriff not only maintains law and order outside of the cities, but also runs the county jail and serves as the primary liaison between local law enforcement, South Carolina agents, and federal agents. .

The sheriff earns $209,261 a year and serves a four-year term. More than 400 employees work in the office, with an annual budget of $55 million. The sheriff's office has its own lab for DNA, drug and other forensic testing, and operates units that include patrol, detectives, traffic officers and other specialized services.

How the candidates arrived on Tuesday

In the June 11 primary, Belk finished ahead of four other candidates, with more than 26 percent of the vote. Breeden was close behind, with more than 25 percent of the vote. There was a runoff because no candidate received more than 50% of the vote on June 11.

The race became competitive in April after Kevin Tolson withdrew after filing for re-election. Beth Bryant Tolson filed her candidacy on April 1, the last day for nominations.

York County Republicans demanded the file be reopened because there was only one candidate after Kevin Tolson dropped out.

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