AIKEN COUNTY, S.C. (WJBF) — Early voting is in full swing for South Carolina’s primary elections. Aiken County voters casting ballots to replace long-serving Sheriff Mike Hunt.
Marty Sawyer, Ed Wilson, and Stuart Prettel are vying for the position. “I started out as volunteer fireman with GVW Fire Department. I was 16 years old and I’ve been serving the public ever since,” Aiken County Sheriff candidate Marty Sawyer said.

Marty Sawyer, currently a captain at the Aiken Department of Public Safety, roots run deep in the community. He’s committed to community safety, deputy support, and addressing drug abuse. “There are plenty of programs out there for drug rehab, mental health issues. And as the sheriff, I would want the Sheriff’s Department to join up with those groups and let’s help prevent these people from getting on drugs and let’s help ’em get off drugs. There needs to be some programs when they get out of jail,” he added.

Sawyer plans to establish a citizens’ advisory board to tackle local issues. “Members of Aiken County from different areas of the county come together once a month or once a quarter. And let’s talk about the problems in their area, see if some of the same problems that they’re having on the other side of the county and how we can come to a solution to fix it.”

Ed Wilson, owner of Georgia Carolina Bell Bonds, brings a diverse background in military leadership and law enforcement. He worked as a undercover narcotics agent and a Chief of Police in Sardis, Georgia. “I’ve basically seen the both sides of the criminals and law enforcement side,” he said.

He’s prioritizing community safety, combatting drug abuse, and improving response times. “The response time for an officer to get to a situation out there it’s a little bit slack. I would like to make sure that our response time we get a call in to dispatch, make sure that my officers get dispatched immediately, and get to that scene,” Wilson added. He stresses how crucial it is for officers to have training in mental health so they can handle those situations better. “I want to basically make sure that my officers understand that dealing with the mental issues and I want to try to work with some of the different agencies and things around here to get them trained properly in the mental aspects of law enforcement.”

NewsChannel 6 did reach out to Stuart Prettel but didn’t hear back. According to his website, he has more than four decades in law enforcement, including service as a Police Officer, Deputy, and SC State Constable. He’s focused on safety, crime prevention, and deputy support.

The Republican primary winner will face Democrat Lucas Grant in the general election. The winner of the general election will replace Michael Hunt. Early voting will continue until June 7.
On election day, June 11, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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