Walker County Sheriff Loses Primary Amid Controversies
Embattled Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith lost his re-election bid in the West Alabama County in Tuesday's Republican Party Primary. His loss follows months of negative stories and Federal investigations into mistreatment of county jail inmates by numerous jail personnel.
The incumbent failed to make it to a runoff that will now match his challengers Jason Akins and J.C. Poe. Atkins garnered 42% of the vote, Poe 34% with Smith trailing significantly at just 22% of the vote. Allen Estell finsihed the vote count with 1% of the vote.
Smith was first elected sheriff in 2018 but ran for re-election this year amid fallout from the Tony Mitchell jail death case. That case has drawn national attention and resulted in multiple federal investigations, guilty pleas, indictments, and civil litigation against Smith and jail employees.
Smith leaned heavily on reducing crime and improving public safety while his opponents, especially Akins hammered away at the problems within the sheriff's office during Smith's tenure, "“I believe in giving the people much more of a voice because at the end of the day, that sheriff’s department belongs to the citizens,” Akins said.
Atkins, who received 5,993 votes to Poe's 4,930 and Smith's 3,144 campaigned heavily on rectifying problems in jail operations and doing more to fight illicity drugs.
Both runoff participants are former deputy sheriffs and Poe is the current police chief in the City of Jasper.
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