Doug Seifert Wins Beaufort County Sheriff Race With 60% of Vote

Doug Seifert won Tuesday’s election for Beaufort County sheriff with 50,886 votes, nearly 60% of the 85,496 ballots cast, WTOC reported, defeating Alphonso Small Jr. in a contest that drew record turnout and ended more than two decades of leadership under a single sheriff.

The victory hands Seifert control of a department that has not seen a new elected leader in nearly three decades, according to WJCL, as he prepares to succeed Sheriff P.J. Tanner, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Roughly one-third of the county’s registered voters cast ballots during early voting alone, part of a total turnout that WTOC described as a record, signaling how intensely residents wanted a voice in choosing who oversees local law enforcement and manages the department’s budget.

Seifert, a Republican who has worked for the Sheriff’s Office for about 20 years, campaigned on expanding the agency’s enforcement capacity. He advocated for doubling the size of the department’s drug division, forming a dedicated traffic team, and looking into a new substation on St. Helena Island. Small Jr., his opponent, made increasing transparency, holding more community meetings, and raising deputy visibility in neighborhoods the centerpieces of his platform. Both candidates cited their prior service as elected officials as key preparation for overseeing county law enforcement.

Beaufort County Elects Doug Seifert as Sheriff! | A Heartfelt Thank You & Victory Message

A 60% Mandate After Two Decades

The scale of Seifert’s win reflects a county ready for change after years under one sheriff.

For residents across Beaufort County, the transition means new leadership at the agency responsible for public safety in the Lowcountry. With nearly three decades of institutional history under Tanner, the change represents a generational shift in how the department approaches its mission. Seifert will be sworn in as the new sheriff in January 2027, leaving a transition period during which Tanner remains in office and Seifert can begin putting his campaign priorities into practice.

Doug Seifert wins Beaufort County Sheriff race https://t.co/anywJAxcOQ

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Two Visions for the Sheriff’s Office

The campaign laid out sharply different approaches to running the department. Seifert’s focus on operational expansion—doubling the drug division, adding a dedicated traffic team, and exploring a substation on St. Helena Island—leans toward increasing the department’s physical presence and enforcement capabilities across the county. Small Jr.’s emphasis on transparency, more community meetings, and greater deputy visibility in neighborhoods, by contrast, prioritized building trust through direct engagement and accountability.

Both candidates agreed that their experience as elected officials prepared them to manage the department’s budget and oversee county law enforcement, but they diverged on what that oversight should look like in daily practice.

Concession With an Open Challenge

After the results came in, Small Jr. released a statement congratulating Seifert and asking residents to hold the new sheriff accountable. He opened by thanking God, his family, wife April, his children, grandchildren, campaign team, volunteers, donors, and community leaders, writing that although the outcome was not what they had hoped for, he did not consider the journey a failure.

“I congratulate my opponent on their victory. I respect the decision of the voters and wish them success in carrying out the important responsibilities of the Sheriff’s Office,” Small Jr. wrote.

Small Jr. also stated that he believes there is still a disconnect between the sheriff’s department and people in the community. He wrote that throughout the campaign, people shared experiences of feeling unheard and concerns about accountability, along with a desire for greater trust and transparency. He contended that genuinely listening to the community involves seriously addressing concerns, including those around the 287(g) program, constitutional rights, proper oversight of surveillance technologies, and deeper collaboration with mental health professionals and first responders. He emphasized that these are not simply campaign issues but concerns that deserve continued public dialogue and meaningful action from those entrusted with leading the Sheriff’s Office.

New Beaufort County Sheriff Doug Seifert's Victory Speech following Election night win

Seifert won nearly 60% of the vote campaigning on doubling the drug division, creating a dedicated traffic team, and exploring a St. Helena Island substation, while Small Jr. ran on transparency, more community meetings, and greater deputy visibility.