Bexar County will have a new sheriff after the Republican challenger unseated Democratic incumbent Amadeo Ortiz.
Bexar County Sheriff-Elect Susan Pamerleau had a smile from ear to ear with an early vote lead of nine percent when the polls closed on election night. In the end, Pamerleau had won by a slim margin with 51 percent.
At the Republican watch party, Pamerleau dropped hints that she is intent on changing some of the inner workings of the sheriff’s department.
“Even before getting in office, I’m going to be looking at hiring the best leadership team so that we can move forward. And also, make sure we take care of the deputies,” Pamerleau said.
Ortiz took office in 2009, and Pamerleau took a moment to acknowledge his service, “I applaud Sheriff Ortiz’s 42 years in law enforcement," she said. "He’s given a lot to this community and I just want to think him for all that he’s done."
Pamerleau is a two-star retired Major General in the Air Force. In order to manage the jail as the sheriff, Pamerleau will have to work with Commissioner’s Court including commissioner Tommy Adkission, whom she ran against during the 2010 mid-term election.
This win makes Pamerleau the first republican sheriff in 20 years, and she is also the first elected female sheriff of Bexar County.
“This isn’t about gender, it’s not about partisan politics, it’s about getting the job done, said Pamerleau.”
