Dewayne Sanders wins Dallas County sheriff, will face independent candidates in November

Dallas County voters chose Dewayne Sanders to serve as the Democratic candidate for sheriff, and he will face off against two independents in the November election for the job.

Sanders beat challenger Willie Calhoun Jr. with 54.6% of the vote.

Probate Judge Jimmy Nunn says Sanders will face independents Lee Green and Scott Swanson on Nov. 3.

In a statement on social media, Sanders said "this campaign has always been about the people of Dallas County and building a safer, stronger community for every family. Today’s outcome shows that our community believes in leadership rooted in service, accountability, integrity, and unity."

Nunn said Tuesday’s primary election delivered a low turnout across the board with only about 8,000 of the county’s 28,000 registered voters casting ballots.

“We’re looking at around about a 30.8 percent turnout,” Nunn said. “It could have been better. We’re looking at close to two‑thirds of the people that didn’t come out and vote.”

Nunn called the numbers especially disappointing given Dallas County’s historic role in the fight for voting rights. “Selma and Dallas County played a pivotal role in the Voting Rights Act,” he said. “We should be trying to increase the voter turnout knowing that history.”

Nunn said Tuesday’s results remain unofficial until provisional ballots are reviewed, though he noted that Dallas County typically sees less than 10 or 15 provisional votes. 

While no local races are headed to a runoff, several statewide contests will move on to the June 16 runoff.

Nunn said there was some voter confusion from precinct changes and lingering habits from last year’s municipal election. “We had some going to the previous precincts for the city, thinking that they’re supposed to vote there,” Nunn said. The county also recently separated two precincts that had long shared the same building. “It’s like trying to separate two twins that’s joined at the heel,” he said. “It’s hard to separate them when both of them voted at one location.”

Nunn encouraged voters to call the probate office, the board of registrars, or check the Secretary of State’s online portal before the next election. “We just want to make sure that we get the voters to the right precinct,” he said. “We do apologize for any inconvenience.”

Despite the challenges, Nunn said he was grateful for those who participated. “I appreciate the voters coming out to vote,” he said. “I wish there would have been more.”