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NATCHEZ — Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten thanked a long list of family and friends Tuesday night, beginning with his wife, Brittney, and son, Anthony, as well as the “Sea of Gold,” which is what he calls his Adams County Sheriff’s Office family.

Patten was elected to his third term as Adams County Sheriff in the general election. He bested challenger Curtis Davis, earning 5,132 votes to Davis’s 3,252.

“You have blood family and you have people who are like blood. I cannot say enough about my ACSO family,” Patten said. “One of the best compliments I have ever been given is when someone comes up to me and tells me, ‘Your people love you and will go to the ends of the earth for you.’ I thank you for it. People have been so vicious toward us, but I didn’t flinch because you didn’t flinch and I give you all a bow.”

Patten said his campaign never attacked anyone. Instead it focused on facts.

“We’ve heard so much stuff over the years, but the community has shown that they have seen through a lot of things that have happened this past year,” he said.

Patten said when he won election in his first term in 2015, that’s when change began.

“I don’t feel like we are here by accident. (When we were elected in 2015) we broke the back of some of the stigmas Adams County had. We changed the trajectory on some of the things that were happening here. We were told so much (during this campaign) for a need for change, but the change is already here,” the sheriff said. “To the Adams County community, I love you and I thank you for giving us a third round.”

Patten said the community should continue to evolve and move forward together.

“Thank you for being wise voters tonight,” he said.

He also sent his thanks to “every pastor and prayer warrior who prayed daily for us. I thank you.”

Curtis Davis had not responded to calls by presstime. In a message to voters on Facebook, he wrote, “I appreciate your vote and support on Election Day. Your good wishes and kind words were very heart-warming throughout the entire campaign. Thank you so much.”