April 8, 2016
By Paul Joseph, Paragon Communications News Director –
After a number of recent rumors and speculation, Beckham County Sheriff Scott Jay made it official Thursday afternoon that he’s decided to seek re-election.
Jay did so by releasing a statement to the press, E-mailing it to several media outlets.
The announcement is a reversal of a decision he made last year but announcing in August that “after a lot of consideration, it was time to move on.” He said then that he’d made the decision some time earlier and that “it wasn’t an easy decision” for he loves doing what he does as Sheriff.
In the August press release that was also E-mailed to news media, Jay was quoted as saying, “It’s been a great ride, and I’m honored that the people of Beckham County have given me the opportunity to serve in this capacity.”
He also said that he didn’t “want there to be any confusion as to a sitting sheriff being challenged.”
In the latest release, Jay says there have been “several circumstances that have factored into a reversal of his decision to retire” and that “after his public retirement announcement in November,” he says he was “overwhelmed by the number of people” who called or came to his home or office to urge him to continue to serve as sheriff by running for re-election.
He continued to explain that “after much soul-searching, prayer, and conversations with friends and family, he has decided to commit another four years to serve the citizens of Beckham County by seeking re-election.”
Jay is quoted saying, “Because so many Beckham County citizens, other sheriffs and state leaders have expressed their satisfaction with the direction in which the sheriff’s office is going and their desire to see it continue, I am humbled but also energized to set new goals in addition to fine-tuning the previous goals for another four years.”
The statement says the withdrawal of Undersheriff Jeff Bilbo as a candidate also led to Jay’s decision to seek re-election. Jay says that he and Bilbo have a wonderful relationship and have been honest and up front from the very beginning.
The release says, quote, to “dispel a rumor, no, Jeff wasn’t forced out of running.”
The candidate filing period begins next Wednesday, April 13 at 8 am.
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