Voters give nod to Schneider in sheriff's race; unofficial count is 4,542 to 4,096

Kurt Schneider will become the new Ashland County sheriff on Jan. 6. Unofficial results from the Ashland County Board of Elections tabulated him as the winner of the race over Chad Enderby by a vote of 4,542 to 4,096.

"We just kept pressing forward," Schneider said as he evaluated his campaign on election night. "We kept engaging with our voters and talking to them and finding out what they wanted from the Sheriff's Office.

"We need to identify what they deserve, and that's obviously what we will continue to do under new leadership come January 6," he said.

There are 34,574 registered voters in Ashland County, and 10,265 votes were cast in Tuesday's primary election. All results are unofficial until the official county is completed.

Sees position as 'beacon of trust'

Schneider, whose campaign emphasized his experience in all facets of law enforcement, once again called the position "a beacon of trust" in the community. "We're going to keep it that way," he said.

One of the biggest issues he covered in the campaign was returning dispatch services to Ashland County.

"That's a unified thing," he said.

"We're going to make sure everyone is on the same page," with the goal of "delivering service to county residents in the most effective and convenient way possible."

"It's going to take some work," Schneider said, but it will be a team effort. "We're going to make sure we work together for the best interest of public safety."

Other issues included "increas(ing) visibility of deputies out on the street."

Schneider additionally committed to continue handling matters within the department itself on a transparent basis.

"Folks are always held accountable for their decision-making process," he said. "That extends to everyone."

Enderby pledges continued support to Ashland County

"It was a very close race," Enderby said. "A lot of good people supported us. We wouldn't change a thing."

Enderby said he was proud of the support he received during his campaign and expressed gratitude to "the people working with us and helping us along the way."

He also shared his respect for the time they spent going door-to-door on his behalf and for contributions to his campaign.

Enderby, who ran on his record of service to the State Highway Patrol and is now the human services director for Ashland County, pledged his continued support to the county and to the mayor of Ashland.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Kurt Schneider wins Ashland County sheriff's race in March primary