Local & State Headlines

Worth County sheriff to seek seventh term

Susan McCord

SYLVESTER — Worth County Sheriff Freddie Tompkins waited until the 11th hour to qualify to run for a seventh term.

“I hadn’t really made my mind up. I think a lot of people started getting concerned, and yesterday and today I got a lot of calls,” said Tompkins, who filed at 11 a.m. Friday. the qualifying period ended at noon.

“I know now,” said Tompkins’ wife, Peggy, who works alongside him in the sheriff’s office and accompanied him to qualify.

By Thursday, two Worth County sheriff’s deputies had paid their $1,779.87 qualifying fee to run as Democrats. Both — Tommy Adams and Mike Hill — are on leaves of absence at least until the July 15 primary, when seven county races will be contested.

Tompkins’ law enforcement experience dates to 1966 when “all my friends and relatives nominated me to represent them in the Vietnam War,” where he served as a military policeman. After the war, the Worth County native worked at Lee State Prison for four years before he was hired by then Worth Sheriff Leo Pritchard in 1973.

“At the end of this term, I will have been sheriff 24 years,” Tompkins, 61, said. “If (voters) like the work that I do — I try to do my best with what I have — hopefully I’ll be here another 4 years.”

Adams lost to Tompkins in the 2004 Democratic primary.

“I just wanted to get out and make a difference myself with the people,” said Adams, who qualified Wednesday. “The idea of the sheriff being 85 percent undecided, I decided to be in there if he decided not to run.”

Adams said he’d increase morale among the department’s approximately 22 sworn personnel if elected, and said he’d like to provide a department chaplain.

Hill, a former GBI agent and Worth deputy for “2-3 years,” according to Tompkins, could not be reached for comment.

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