Covington County sheriff faces predecessor in re-election bid

COVINGTON COUNTY, Ala. (WSFA) - Voters in Covington County will decide between two familiar faces in this year’s race for sheriff.

Current Sheriff Blake Turman looks to remain in office, facing off against former Sheriff Dennis Meeks, who he unseated in the 2019 election. Both candidates say they want more time in office to keep the sheriff’s office moving forward.

Turman points to improvements across the board since taking office, specifically with staffing, technology, and accountability.

“I want to see progress out of the sheriff’s department,” Turman said. “And I want to move us on up into the 21st century. And I believe that I have proven that I’ve been able to do that so far, but I just need more time.”

Meeks is hoping for another chance as sheriff, after having previously been in office for 12 years. He points to his experience at several different positions in the sheriff’s office, including dispatcher, corrections officer, investigator and eventually, sheriff. Meeks says this experience sets him apart from the competition.

“The biggest thing is I love Covington County,” Meeks said. “This is my home. It just appears that, over the last three and a half years, it appears that we need to put a leader back in the sheriff’s office.”

Both candidates are running as republicans, and there is no democratic challenger. Whoever gets the most votes on May 24 will win the race for Covington County sheriff.

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