May 21, 2003 3 min read

With 53 of 105 precincts reporting, incumbent Gary D. Brownfield had a lead of 5,466 votes to 3,316 votes over challenger Mark D. Santore in the Democratic primary for Fayette County Sheriff. Tuesday’s election was a rematch of four years ago when Brownfield ran against Santore who was hoping to step up from his position of chief deputy sheriff and succeed his mother, Norma Santore, in the post. The winner is virtually guaranteed of victory as there were no Republicans seeking the post.

Four years ago, Santore ended up losing more than the election. On the first day Brownfield took office, Santore was fired.

Although the legality of the issue is being litigated, Brownfield, a former state trooper, said he felt he was within his rights to staff the office the way he felt it would work most efficiently. Brownfield said he contacted three attorneys and the president of the union before making his personnel decisions. He added that the term of the chief deputy expires with the sheriff’s term.

In addition to Santore, Brownfield fired Donald Whittaker, who recently won a wrongful termination civil lawsuit.

During the campaign, Santore, 44, of Uniontown told the Herald-Standard he initially ran for sheriff for all the right reasons, but now he wants to “rebuild the integrity and trust the department needs and deserves.’ He said the office has been compromised by a “lack of deputy training and federal lawsuits being filed against the current sheriff for illegally firing two deputies, costing the taxpayers a quarter of a million dollars for just one case.’

Brownfield, 56, of Hopwood, disputed that assessment, saying the lawsuit cost the county only a $10,000 deductible amount.

He told the Herald-Standard, “The county is insured and they chose the deductible (amount). I tried to do everything the right way. Anybody can sue anybody for anything.’

Santore has been working as a sales representative for American General for three years. In addition to serving as chief deputy for the sheriff’s department under Norma Jean Santore, he completed the training and education course at Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle.

Brownfield has 30 years experience as a state trooper and four years as sheriff.

In the past three years, Brownfield said, he has enacted a search and rescue program as well as a special emergency response team unit to respond to high-risk incidents. He also said he had the more than 400 county employees photographed and issued identification cards. Additional security enhancements Brownfield instituted include more cameras for courthouse security and an X-ray machine for the front door.