Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 8, 1995 TAG: 9511080019
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RICHARD FOSTER AND MEGAN SCHNABEL STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: BEDFORD LENGTH: Medium
"The voters of Bedford County are informed," said Brown, speaking from Republican headquarters in downtown Bedford after winning over four opponents. "They wanted change."
Brown, an international security consultant, was the only candidate running with a party affiliation. His opponents - Doug Maynard, Chuck Reid, Dave Cooper and Darryl Updike - all ran as independents.
Brown said Bedford's Republican voters helped "big time" - he got more than twice the total votes of his nearest competitor in the Republican stronghold precincts of Forest and Jefferson - but he also credited areas of the county that aren't traditionally Republican.
Brown will replace retiring Sheriff Carl Wells.
As sheriff, Brown has said he'll fight rising crime and limited manpower by starting a volunteer citizens patrol group, or posse. Unarmed citizens will patrol in their own cars, looking for crimes and suspicious activities to report to the sheriff's office.
The sheriff-elect has said he also will seek out grant money for extra deputies and will donate $1,500 of his salary each year to a fund for deputies to further their educations.
Brown waged a costly war. He raised and spent more than $40,000 - more than any other candidate and about half of what was raised in the whole race.
Born and raised in Big Island, Brown started his law enforcement career as a deputy in the county sheriff's office. But unlike Wells, who had no outside experience, Brown went on to work as a police officer in Washington, D.C., and as a federal agent with the CIA and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Brown received endorsements from Gov. George Allen, Secretary of Public Safety Jerry Kilgore, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke, and the Lynchburg Fraternal Order of Police.
That, combined with the Republican label, translated into a lot of votes in conservative parts of the county such as Forest.
Although Tuesday's election results came out clearly in favor of Brown, the campaign wasn't altogether smooth. His opponents criticized him because he lived in Botetourt County for almost 20 years before he moved to Bedford County and declared he would run for sheriff a month later.
They also called Brown's citizens-on-patrol idea too extreme and questioned his fitness for office because of a medical disability pension he receives from the ATF for a damaged nerve in his shoulder.
Keywords:
ELECTION
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.