Arnott to remain Greene County Sheriff after lopsided win against McMains

With all of Greene County's 80 precincts reported, incumbent Sheriff Jim Arnott will remain in the post for four more years after defeating challenger Ben McMains in commanding fashion.

With no Democrat in the race, Arnott's Tuesday night win effectively carries through to November. Uncertified results posted by the Greene County Clerk show Arnott captured 77.7% of the votes cast, more than three times the votes cast for McMains.

Arnott told the News-Leader he was excited to continue to take on violent crime in Greene County and called the election process a "reassurance" that citizens trust him to keep the community safe for another four years.

Arnott has served as the Greene County Sheriff since 2008 and had not faced a challenger until this primary. In seeking another term, he remained focused on reining in gang violence and addressing border security, which he said includes dealing with undocumented immigrants who commit crimes, get deported and then re-enter the country without repercussions. During his tenure, the sheriff's office staff has grown in size and scope with the opening of the new jail facility in mid-2022.

In a Facebook post, McMains thanked supporters and said he felt he had let citizens down "by not doing more."

McMains has 18 years of experience from various positions and law enforcement agencies across the state. He said he hoped to bring a fresh perspective to policing in Greene County. McMains first gained the spotlight as the Fair Grove School Resource Officer who was decommissioned earlier this year despite large community outcry.

A focus of McMains' campaign was the use of body cameras. McMains emphasized the need for transparency and accountability and sought body cameras as a way to instill those values at the sheriff's department. Arnott said he opposed the use of body cameras due to their expense and the nature of footage making private spaces public via the Sunshine Law.

More: Early primary election voter turnout in Greene County 'lighter than expected'

Other Greene County races

Uncertified final results show those within the Logan-Rogersville Fire Protection District have voted to authorize the Board of Directors to levy an additional 25 cents on $100 of assessed property value to support the fire protection district with 68.3% of voters supporting the levy.

Greene County's 2nd District Commissioner John Russell, a Republican, will face off with Democrat Tim McGrady in November. Both candidates ran unopposed in the primary.

All other Greene County races were uncontested with the following remaining in their respective offices: Assessor Brent Johnson, Treasurer Justin Hill, Public Administrator Sherri Martin and Commissioner 1st District Rusty MacLachlan.

Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Results roll in for Greene County Sheriff's race Arnott faces McMains