Key sheriff race endorsement comes as early voting set to start
Nov 9th, 2011 | By William Dilella | Category: News
Col. Chad Clark and Chief Deputy James Pohlmann at news conference in which Clark, who finished third in the Oct. 22 sheriff’s election, endorses Pohlmann in the Nov. 19 run-off election.
“[Pohlmann] is deliberate and determined,” Clark said at the press conference held on October 31. “He is well-liked, well-intentioned and well-trained.’’
“Today we stand with a common goal,” Clark continued. “We both want a safe and secure parish. We both want to protect the men and women [of the Sheriff’s Office] who put their lives on the line every day. We both want to rid our parish of dangerous drugs and thugs. And it’s because of our common vision, today, I’m very proud to support Chief Jimmy Pohlmann to be the next sheriff.”
Pohlmann, who thanked Clark for his endorsement, stated that Clark would be a member of the transition team, should he win, as the sheriff’s office prepares for the term to officially begin in July 2012.
Pohlmann commented on the upcoming runoff race against Councilman-at-Large Wayne Landry, saying that race centers on experience in the Sheriff’s Office.
“[Many] felt the need for law enforcement experience by the sheriff,” Pohlmann said. “We need change in the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office, changes in policies and procedures… we are not going to change the way we fight crime.”
Pohlmann is the current Chief Deputy in the St. Bernard Sheriff’s department, and has served in that capacity for several years.
Clark took a leave of absence from his post in the Sheriff’s Office to run for election. He finished third in the race that took place on Oct. 22, with approximately 18-percent of the overall vote, falling behind Landry, who had nearly 30-percent. Pohlmann rounded out the top with over 45-percent of the vote.
According to the Clerk of Court’s office, 70-percent of the voters appeared at the polls.
When asked for his comment on the runoff race, Landry said he was confident going in.
“The people voted overwhelmingly for change [in the primary],” Landry said, referring to Clark’s campaign slogan of Change: Now or Never. “I’m the only candidate that represents that change.”
Photo by Steve Cannizaro
