Politics

McDonald gets opponent in 2018 election

By Lightning Reports, Published: August 14, 2017

Lowell Griffin, a former Henderson County sheriff's deputy, announced on Monday that he will run for sheriff next year.

"A dedication to the job and a love for the people have propelled me to announce my candidacy for the position," Griffin said in a news release. "I truly believe that law enforcement should answer to the need of the public and not the needs of an entity. In the coming months I intend to reveal a platform rich with ideas that I believe will alter some current policies of the sheriff’s office to better serve you, the people of the county.

"Those ideas include providing job security for the officers who so diligently serve you, a reorganization of the department to better allocate resources to serve the people, increased accountability to the taxpayers, improving agency relationships while maximizing manpower, providing the services that taxpayers fund to ALL communities, and openly confronting the narcotics issues facing Henderson County. My goal is to serve all demographics of Henderson County with the highest quality of service that you genuinely deserve."

Currently a captain with the Polk County sheriff's office, Griffin was one of six deputies Sheriff Charlie McDonald sacked a week after he was elected to office in November 2014. Griffin says he was never given a reason for the termination but believes it was for insufficient support for McDonald's campaign for the job.

McDonald won election 2½ years after he was appointed in 2012 to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Rick Davis in 2011. McDonald has opened a campaign account and plans to stand for re-election next year.

A native of Henderson County, Griffin began working for the Henderson County sheriff's office in 1992 under Sheriff Ab Jackson. A Republican, Griffin would face McDonald in the primary election on May 8.

Griffin's campaign announcement:

I was born and raised in Henderson County. I have lived in the Edneyville / Fruitland area my entire life. I am proud of Henderson County and have fond memories and friends located throughout various parts of the county. I am an alumni of the former Edneyville High School, a heritage that I cherish. I grew up in a very humble home but had parents that offered a lot of love and taught me that respecting others is paramount to my success and the success of our society. This respect has allowed me to befriend many folks throughout the many various communities within Henderson County. I have watched all of these communities grow and develop over the years as I worked to serve the people of this county. I believe that understanding the demographics of the communities within Henderson County is a necessary step in serving the residents here.
I developed a work ethic as I grew up working on area farms, putting up hay, harvesting crops, and learning any skill I could along the way. Today I cut my own firewood, mow my own grass, and care for some livestock that I own. I also share wood cutting and lawn mowing responsibilities for my mother with my brother. I have obtained various skills over the years and accomplish most necessary projects myself from construction to mechanical work. I reveal all of this to reveal that hard work, even physical work, does not intimidate me in the least. Hard work has also instilled conservative values. I understand that your tax money is hard earned. I budget and manage my finances in a wise and conservative manner and I intend to do the same with your tax dollars.
I enjoy various activities outdoors when I have time but especially enjoy fishing. I also enjoy physical activity and work out regularly. My brother and I also do some mechanical as well as paint and body work on the side. We are currently in the process of some vehicle restorations. I am a member of and attend Mt. Moriah Baptist church in Edneyville. Faith is a guiding principle of my life. I have grown up with my brother in the emergency services and today my brother, Robert Griffin, is a career fire chief with Edneyville Fire and Rescue.
Early in life I became involved in local emergency services and found my niche as a public servant. I have currently been an active firefighter / EMT over 35 years. My early years associated with the fire/rescue industry allowed me to really comprehend what it meant to help someone who was experiencing one of the worst days of their life. I developed a servant’s heart and knew that I wanted to be in a profession where I was able to make a positive impact on others. During my time as a firefighter I have served in many capacities including that of chief for many years. The opportunity to serve has been challenging and I have been part of a brotherhood that has experienced some heartbreaking events but it has been overall a tremendously rewarding endeavor. I have been fortunate enough to be the recipient of several awards as a firefighter and still love the feeling I get from serving and aiding those in need. To this day I remain active and leave my activities, my family, and even my bed if I’m available to help someone in need. As with many Henderson County Firefighters I do this giving of my time for both training and responding to emergency calls without compensation. I currently sit on the Edneyville Fire and Rescue Board of directors where my experiences in budget management have been enhanced.

In 1992 I entered the profession of law enforcement and accepted a position with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office. My time as an officer has also been very rewarding. Again I have witnessed and been involved with many tragic events but overall my career has been very rewarding. I worked with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office serving in various capacities to include a detention officer, civil process server, patrol officer, and investigator and in all divisions served as a supervisor. I also obtained both general and specialized instructor certifications and have instructed both law enforcement cadets as well as veteran officers for over 15 years. During my career I undertook special assignments as a SWAT officer and was one of the founding officers of the Henderson County Bomb Squad where I served as a bomb tech from 2002 until 2014. Throughout my career I have again been fortunate enough to receive numerous awards and again enjoyed my calling to serve the people in Henderson County. During my time at Henderson County I also worked hand in hand with all Henderson County emergency services in the capacity as an incident commander in large scale events. Henderson County was also fortunate enough to have obtained contracts for service from Blue Ridge Community College, Hendersonville Housing Authority, and Mills River Township. My position on the command staff at the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office allowed me the opportunity to develop and enhance the contracts with these entities. In 2014 I took a position with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and currently serve there as the Operations Captain and supervise narcotics investigations as well as criminal interdiction.
After much prayer and encouragement to do so from citizens of Henderson County I have chosen to enter the race for the position of sheriff of Henderson County and seek the republican nomination. I feel that my main attribute, that which I have proven, is that I have the heart of a servant. True leadership arises from servitude and my experiences in emergency services and law enforcement, both good and bad, have enabled me to develop a vision of what true servitude to the people encompasses.

A dedication to the job and a love for the people have propelled me to announce my candidacy for the position. I truly believe that law enforcement should answer to the need of the public and not the needs of an entity. In the coming months I intend to reveal a platform rich with ideas that I believe will alter some current policies of the sheriff’s office to better serve you, the people of the county. Those ideas include providing job security for the officers who so diligently serve you, a reorganization of the department to better allocate resources to serve the people, increased accountability to the taxpayers, improving agency relationships while maximizing manpower, providing the services that taxpayers fund to ALL communities, and openly confronting the narcotics issues facing Henderson County. My goal is to serve all demographics of Henderson County with the highest quality of service that you genuinely deserve.
I appreciate all of the folks who have stepped forward to encourage me to pursue this position and are willing to share my passion by serving on my election committee. Those folks include Don Ward (committee chair), Jeff Donaldson (treasurer), Roy Perry, Steve (Boulder) Dalton, Mike Peppers, Bill Hill, Terry Brackett, Dr. Bryan Melton, Frankie Capps, Charlie Galloway, Keaton Jones, and Tim Griffin. Please take a moment to look over my resume and, if any questions remain I encourage you to approach myself or any of my committee members you may be familiar with and ask questions.
I sincerely look forward to serving you, the people of Henderson County.