BEAUMONT, Texas — Incumbent Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens will serve a third term after successfully defending her seat.
Stephens, who was first elected in 2016, beat challenger Steven Broussard to remain in office.
She defeated Broussard by winning 45,104 votes, or 54.8% of the votes in the general election. Broussard received 37,179 votes or 45.2% of the vote.
At the time she was first elected, Stephens, became the state’s first African-American female sheriff.
Previously she was the chief of police at Prairie View A&M University after spending 11 years with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office prior to beginning her career with the Beaumont Police Department.
Stephens is a Lamar University graduate who was born and raised in Southeast Texas.
She told 12News recently that she knows there’s more work to be done at the sheriff’s office and plans to continue that work.
Stephens noted that in the last four years less than 14 people have been terminated, explaining that when employees break laws they are terminated. Other issues go through a disciplinary process she said.
During her tenure as sheriff she has required all deputies to wear body cameras and implemented new technology in the jail.
She told 12News recently that, if re-elected, she plans to focus on mental health resources for deputies and everyday citizens.
"We're finally almost fully staffed again. And so we can do some of the things we originally promised our constituents," said Stephens. "Getting help for people who are suffering with mental illness, who many times ends up in our correctional facility, or in our criminal justice system and so I think we have a plan to try to lessen that burden."
