CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A former Kanawha County sheriff is getting the title again.
On Tuesday, Mike Rutherford secured the Democratic nomination for sheriff and, since there is no Republican candidate for the November general election, Rutherford will again take the spot as Kanawha County’s top cop in the New Year.
“It was absolutely a humbling experience,” Rutherford said of Tuesday’s primary results. “I just really appreciate the support and all the good wishes from everybody.”
Rutherford talked about his win over another former sheriff, Dave Tucker, on Wednesday’s “580-LIVE with Charleston Mayor Danny Jones.”
Rutherford picked up 68 percent of the vote to Tucker’s 32 percent.
The coming term may or may not be the last for Rutherford.
“It just depends on what happens in the next three or four years. Right now, in all honesty, I’m kind of leaning a little bit towards probably retiring, but you never know. Three years from now, I might decide otherwise,” he said.
Rutherford is nearing the 40 year mark with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department.
That’s a lot of history, he said. “You want to leave the Department and all the people you’ve worked with for some many years in good hands.”
Most recently, Rutherford has been serving as chief deputy for the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department under his brother, Sheriff Johnny Rutherford, who opted not to seek re-election this year.