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Highlands Today

Benton Wins Sheriff Primary

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GARY PINNELL

Highlands Today

Published: August 27, 2008

Updated: 08/27/2008 01:26 pm

SEBRING - Highlands County may have a new sheriff in town, but it didn't happen Tuesday night.

With all 25 precincts reporting, incumbent Susan Benton smoked the competition by a 3-1 margin.

"They're predicting a 7.5 percent turnout," said Benton, who was in the election office watching results come in. That may be the lowest turnout ever for a primary election.

"I don't know why it happened. I'm not sure people got it, that there was a primary, with all the other news and the Democratic convention going on."

This was a clean race between herself and Rowan, said Benton, a sheriff's lieutenant who was elected to the top job four years ago.

"We saw each other several times today, and there's no hard feelings," she said.

She thanked her deputies for their continued support. "I couldn't be prouder of them, that they were able to change this organization, and to accomplish what we've been able to accomplish."

Benton will meet Republican Ron Grimming on Nov. 4 in the general election.

Gary Pinnell can be reached at gpinnell@highlandstoday.com or 863 386-5828

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