With the June 3 election primary approaching, two democrats are vying to be the Dallas County Sheriff. 

Sardis resident Lee Green, who works for the Department of Youth Services, is running against incumbent and Valley Grande resident Harris Huffman, who is seeking his sixth term.

Green says he is running on a platform that focuses on change and establishing a strong relationship with Dallas County residents.

“If you continue to put new parts on an old vehicle and it doesn’t work then it’s time to change the engine,” Green said. “I’m only asking for one chance and if it doesn’t work then remove me and allow someone else to do it.”

If elected, Green won’t be new to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department. Green has a varied background in law enforcement, including more than 10 years with the sheriff’s department. Green began his time with the sheriff’s department under former sheriff Cotton Nichols. Green worked his way up, eventually becoming the warden of the Dallas County Jail.

Green also served in the U.S. Marines and the Alabama National Guard.

One of Green’s ideas is to establish sheriff’s department substations in Orrville, Valley Grande and at Craig Field to improve response time and cut down on travel-related expenses.

“With substations, deputies wouldn’t have to run from one end of the county to the other to respond to calls,” he said.

Green suggested assigning deputies to substations based on where he or she lives.

Green said he also wants to improve efficiency within the sheriff’s department.

If elected, Green said one of his first actions as sheriff would be to hold a community meeting to hear concerns of Dallas County residents.

Huffman first ran for sheriff in 1994, but his law enforcement career spans several decades. After attending junior college, Huffman became an auxiliary police officer with the Selma Police Department. Soon after, Nichols hired Huffman as an identifications officer at the county jail.

Huffman worked his way up and eventually became a narcotics investigator with the sheriff’s department. He said one of his most significant accomplishments in his 20 years as sheriff was a multi-million-jail expansion in 2001.

Huffman said running an efficient, cost-effective operation is a primary goal, if re-elected.

“I think that a good leader is going to surround themselves with a strong dependable and reliable staff, in all departments,” he said. “The sheriff has to be dedicated to the position that he holds. Sometimes he has to rule the office with his heart instead of by the book.”

He said continuing firearms training, expanding project lifesaver and the Yellow Dot program are also few of his goals.

Project Lifesaver allows a person with Alzheimers to wear a wristband that emits a signal that authorizes can tap into if the person is lost. The Yellow Dot program allows emergency personnel to access critical information about a victim in a severe car crash.

“It provides the emergency personnel with important information and the only thing it costs the general public is about 15 minutes of their time,” Huffman said about project lifesaver.