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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Holiday Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend November 8, 2006 Sheriff's race remains close By Chris Conrad Mail Tribune The tense, months-long scrap for Jackson County sheriff continued well into Tuesday night as a measly 811 votes separated the two candidates. Incumbent Sheriff Mike Winters held the slightest of edges by 11 p.m., though neither he nor his opponent Medford police Lt. Tim George were ready to give up the fight. Winters spent the evening at the Republican campaign party at Medford's Red Lion Hotel. He seemed a bit dispirited by the tight race. The last election saw him winning by a comfortable 10 percent cushion. "I think it's closer than it should be, especially considering how hard this administration and sheriff's office has worked to serve this community," Winters said. "I have put in so many seven-day weeks and late nights and early mornings over the past four years." George seemed more upbeat among the 100 or so committee members, family and friends who had gathered in support at his home on Golf View Drive in Medford. Advertisement "This is my first rodeo in the political process," George said. "I just hope I got my message across." The early numbers had George trailing by 214 votes. Winters was ahead by 811 votes when the next batch of results poured in at around 11:30 p.m. Winters had 27,234 votes to George's 26,423. However, unlike the last sheriff's election, when 7,000 voters ignored the race, this year's turnout carried a preliminary under-vote of just over 4,000. To be sure, Winters plans to get to the bottom of why the race went down to the wire this time — if he survived the night. "If I'm still ahead at the end of this, I will go to various communities to see what they are seeking from the sheriff's office," Winters said. "I also want to know what they bought into." The sheriff pointed to what he perceived as a negative campaign run by his opponent. George's claim that Winters shut down the Jackson County Narcotics Enforcement Team (JACNET), a multi-agency task forced that fought high-level drug trafficking, was a driving force in the election. "There were things he said and that were printed in the Mail Tribune that just weren't true," Winters said. "If people don't take the time to educate themselves about both candidates, they can buy into that nonsense." George maintains he did nothing but point out the various shortcomings of Winters' management of the sheriff's department. "As far as JACNET goes, he still needs to tell the truth," George added. "At first he said I was the one who closed it down, and then he said it had never shut down. Which one is it?" Regardless, both men assured the residents of Jackson County that the contentious race would not poison relations between the sheriff's department and Medford police. "A political race doesn't affect the way we do business," George said. "Tomorrow we all go back to work." Reach reporter Chris Conrad at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com