ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Incumbent Jerry Demings won the race for Orange County Sheriff after facing off against Spike Hopkins, one of his former deputies.
As of 8:56 p.m. with all precincts reporting, Demings had 65 percent of the votes and Hopkins had 34 percent.
Demings has served as Orange County Sheriff for the past eight years and during this election he said that experience would help him better serve the community.
"I'm the only candidate in the race that brings the caliber and quality of experience to the table to deal with the breadth of things that can happen here in this community," Demings told News 6 days before the election.
He also reminded voters that crime levels have dropped about 22 percent since he was first elected sheriff in 2008.
Hopkins, a retired lieutenant, began working with Orange County Sheriff's Office in 1988 as a reserve deputy. Since then he's worked on the SWAT team, narcotics and the Community Oriented Policing Squad.
He spent his final seven years with the agency supervising 340 deputies as night watch commander. He planned to patrol with deputies every Friday night if he won the election for sheriff. He also earned an endorsement from the Fraternal Order of Police.
Demings wrote on his website that his goal during the new term is to continue to serve the citizens of Orange County.
"And because this is my home, I will do everything necessary to maintain the quality of life that makes Central Florida, not only one of the world’s premier tourist destinations, but one of the finest places in the United States to live, work, and visit."
LIVE ELECTION RESULTS