MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Democratic candidate for Sheriff of Monongalia County Todd Forbes was elected Tuesday, beating out Republican candidate Jason Morgan.
A first-time candidate, Forbes received 21,338 votes, compared to Morgan’s 18,375 votes.
Forbes’ predecessor, current Sheriff Perry Palmer, reached his term limit this year after serving since 2017. Forbes previously served as a deputy in the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department and served on the Mon Valley/Mon Metro Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force.
After campaigning for over a year, Forbes said he appreciated his team and supporters.
“We started about 15 months ago, and we knew that no one would work harder than we did. I knew that going in. That’s the one sure thing. I didn’t know how people would respond to me, but I knew no one would work harder than we did, and I stand by that,” he said.
Following his win, Forbes said he chose to run for office, aiming to improve conditions in the department.
“I had real concerns for the men and women of the Sheriff’s Department, the tax office and really the citizens of Monongalia County. I did not want them to be people that had front-row tickets to a train wreck, which is what I was afraid of, which is what led me into this race,” he said.