BEAUMONT, Texas — Just a day before the 2020 election, both candidates for Jefferson County sheriff talked to 12News about key issues and and their plans for the position if they're elected.
Republican David Odom is facing off against incumbent Democrat Zena Stephens.
DO: "I'm David Odom. I'm born and raised in Beaumont. Been a lifelong resident of Jefferson County."
ZS: "I'm Zena Stephens. Homegrown. I'm committed to the community."
Question: Why are you running for sheriff of Jefferson County?
ZS: "I care about people. So whether they're in my jail, whether they're from China or Nome, whether they're in the north end of Beaumont or Mid County to Port Arthur, I do what it takes to protect or keep people safe."
DO: "With the war on law enforcement, we need a sheriff's department with a strong administration that's going to stand behind the men and women so they can be confident to go out and do their job."
Question: If elected, what will be your top priority in the first 100 days?
DO: "The first thing I'm going to do is bring the ethics and integrity back to the sheriff's department. The morale is down with the deputies. The jail has failed inspection three times."
ZS: "Focusing on mental health care in our correctional facilities. I always want to make sure the folks who work in our correctional facilities have a safe work environment. A safe place to go. We've learned so much in the last year dealing with COVID, so that's important to me."
Question: What sets you apart from your challenger?
ZS: "It's not just about talking the talk, it's walking the walk and the past four years I've shown that. We've been successful in managing budgets. We've saved county tax payers $1.5 million. We've allocated more people on the streets."
DO: "With the way things are going with our government, a sheriff is a constitutional officer. We need someone that's gonna stand at the front line and ensure that the citizens of Jefferson County's rights are not infringed on."
Question: What message do you have for undecided voters?
DO: "My job is going to be to earn the respect of all the citizens of Jefferson County and ensure them that they made the right decision on voting for me."
ZS: "For me, it's not about partisanship, it's not about racial stuff, it's about people who care about the community. And if you don't care about people, you can't do this job."
