The Taylor County Sheriff’s Officers Association held a debate Friday evening, February 16 at the Taylor County Expo Center. The debate featured all three candidates running for sheriff this November: incumbent Sheriff Ricky Bishop, Taylor County District Attorney Investigator Shay Bailey, and Anson Police Officer Elias Carrasquillo Jr.

Taylor County Sheriff’s deputies, their families and supporters filled about half of the room. Seating was limited to the first 110 people, and attendees came to see what issues might arise in the sheriff’s debate ahead of the March 5 Republican Primary.

So far, the race has been rife with accusations from Carrasquillo about the current sheriff’s administration, and responses from the current sheriff. To date, Bailey has kept himself out of the negative campaigning, while running on a clean platform, steering clear of the back-and-forth politics between the other two candidates.

It didn’t take long before Carrasquillo began throwing spears at incumbent Bishop. Carrasquillo has long claimed that Bishop is running an office based on what he claims are questionable inmate deaths, coverups of inmate escapes, and so-called administrative reprisals.

Whether or not you believe any of the accusations, it is important that your vote counts March 5. If one Taylor County Sheriff’s candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the race will be decided after the Primary. If the candidates fail to get a majority, all three will head to a runoff election May 28.

Stay with Reporter-News to see who our county’s next sheriff will be, as the Reporter-News covers every aspect of these triggering elections.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Taylor County Sheriff’s candidates debate Friday