NATCHEZ — Adams County Sheriff Chuck Mayfield issued a letter to the citizens of the county late Wednesday afternoon, seeking to assure them he would continue to perform his duties through the end of his term.

In what many consider the biggest surprise of Tuesday’s primary election, Mayfield came in third in a field of three candidates. Top vote getter Travis Patten, a Natchez police officer, will face Randy Freeman, a retired sheriff’s deputy, in a runoff election on Aug. 25.

“I have been deeply honored to be your sheriff for the past six years, and I have done the job with dedication and to the best of my ability,” Mayfield said. “Although the sheriff’s office will transition in January of 2016, I assure you all that I will continue to perform my duties as your sheriff with diligence and integrity, and until then, it will be business as usual at 306 State Street.”

Mayfield said he hopes whoever is elected sheriff in November would consider retaining “every last one of the fine deputies and administrative staff that we have in place now.

“I wish both candidates good luck and may the voters of Adams County be served well by their new sheriff,” Mayfield said.