Hosting a May Primary party for a large group of supporters at the Cadiz Renaissance Center, Mike Sandbrink and his friends waited patiently — wondering if he would be Trigg County’s next sheriff.
As numbers came over the radio, a large roar erupted late Tuesday night — confirming Sandbrink’s victory over incumbent Aaron Acree 1,733 to 840.
For Sandbrink, it was a full-circle moment.
A Trigg County resident since 2005 and a former deputy under Acree before his currently-litigated dismissal, Sandbrink’s write-in candidacy in 2022 had some traction.
This time around, he made preparations, knocked on hundreds of doors, worked through legacy and digital advertising, and came away with the Republican nomination.
Sandbrink said he thought “Trigg County was ready for a change this time,” and he’s ready to put that concept into work.
At present, Sandbrink is the likely sheriff-elect, unless an independent, non-partisan candidate files between now and 4 PM Tuesday, June 2.
Therefore, he knows he still has to prepare for a November general election, at least in theory, before possibly taking office January 2027.
As for Acree, he confirmed that he has “zero plans” to resign and step away from his term, and instead wants to finish “what people four years ago elected him to do.”
Acree said he wished there had been a little more “face-to-face” campaigning over the last few months, and noted that navigating social media in this age “is unfortunate” — where all answers, true or false, positive or negative, are often derived from the Internet and Facebook.
He added that he “wasn’t going to release a single text message or document,” nor “run a negative campaign, just to appease the public” on multiple platforms.
However, in regard to local and state reporting, as well as 2022 allegations, Acree did admit “the past can haunt you” — but he, too, wants to move forward.
One of many hotly-contested and contentious races in south western Kentucky, Trigg County had a 30% voter turnout — including more than 950 choosing to vote early/absentee.
