Mississippi County voters to elect new sheriff Tuesday

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Voters in Mississippi County will choose a new sheriff during Tuesday’s special election.

The sheriff race is the only issue on the ballot, and voters will choose one of three candidates: Britton Ferrell, Republican; Brent Douglas, Democrat; and Keith Moore, independent, according to the office of Mississippi County Clerk Emily K. Pullen.

Some voters have already cast ballots through absentee voting, according to Pullen’s office. As of Thursday, 44 absentee ballots already had been cast, the county clerk’s office said. The deadline for the clerk’s office to mail ballots has passed; however, the Mississippi County Courthouse will also be open from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday for registered voters to cast absentee ballots. Voters may still cast absentee ballots in the county clerk’s office until 5 p.m. Monday.

The special election was called by the county commission after the resignation of former Mississippi County Sheriff Cory Hutcheson.

On Nov. 20, Hutcheson pleaded guilty to federal charges for using the cellphones of a judge, other law officers and others to track their whereabouts. He also agreed to resign by Nov. 24, as part of a plea deal as federal prosecutors agreed to dismiss 26 other counts.

At the time, then-Mississippi County Clerk Junior DeLay told the Standard Democrat that Hutcheson attended the Nov. 21 county commission meeting and submitted his resignation effective at 5 p.m. Nov. 23.

The county commission accepted the resignation and unanimously appointed Branden E. Caid as the interim sheriff until such time a new sheriff was elected at a special election, DeLay said at the time.

Caid, who had been acting sheriff during Hutcheson’s leave, was sworn in as the interim sheriff immediately following the effective resignation time and date.

Hutcheson, 35, was a longtime deputy in Mississippi County. He was elected sheriff in November 2016 and took office in January 2017. Sentencing for Hutcheson on the federal wire fraud and identity theft charges is set for Feb. 28.

Polls for the special election will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, and voters can cast ballots at their regularly assigned precincts, the county clerk’s office said.