As part of our ongoing commitment to delivering impactful local news, we have proactively reached out to the candidates running in the Statewide Primary on June 11th. We invited them to submit a letter introducing themselves, explaining their reasons for running, and outlining the issues they are passionate about.
We will not manipulate their answers in any way, we’ll simply provide it to you, our readers. This will allow you to make an informed choice. The order was determined by response time to our inquiry.
We’ll continue with Chris Blevins, who is running for York County Sheriff.
For a list of all local primary candidates, please refer to our original article from several weeks ago: https://tegacaysun.com/election-coverage/
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CHRIS BLEVINS
NEW LEADERSHIP DELIVERING RESULTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY
Chris Blevins is a conservative Republican who feels led to offer the Citizens of York County an alternative option for Sheriff. He is a hard-working, blue-collar citizen who has demonstrated his strength as a natural leader while being humble, firm, and fair. Chris began his Law Enforcement Career as a reserve deputy in 1994 and transitioned to a full-time York County Sheriff’s Office employee in 1995. He steadily climbed the career ladder, eventually becoming a District Commander before his retirement. With over 25 years in law enforcement, his experience spans various areas, including Investigations, Narcotics, Fugitive Apprehension, SWAT, SC Law Enforcement Network 16th Circuit Coordinator, and District Command. Throughout his tenure at the York County Sheriff’s Office, Chris has been recognized numerous times for his outstanding contributions. In addition to receiving Congressional recognition, he has been awarded other commendations including multiple Medals of Valor from the York County Sheriff’s Office, SC Sheriff’s Association, multiple Medals of Honor from York County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff’s Citation, and Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department Medal of Merit. His extensive network of contacts from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies is a testament to his effectiveness in building working partnerships essential to the leadership role of Sheriff. Throughout his decorated career, whether he was a supervisor or not, Chris Blevins has provided sound leadership and a commitment to his teammates and community. He believes in fair and compassionate treatment of every individual and constantly goes above and beyond to help anyone in need.
When elected to serve the citizens of York County as Sheriff, Chris Blevins will uphold the laws of the State of South Carolina and both the South Carolina Constitution and the Constitution of the United States of America. He will prioritize combating the opioid epidemic by allocating appropriate funding and providing continued education about the dangers of opioid addiction. He will leverage York County, State, and Federal resources to address these issues. He is committed to engaging with all segments of York County, including the citizens, through open channels of communication. He will also work to maintain and strengthen the current workforce through fair, supportive, and sound leadership while ensuring county employees provide first-class customer service and responsibly utilize citizens’ tax dollars to update processes, functions, and equipment to increase efficiency. In addition to the “Constitutional Carry” state-mandated training, Chris will work to provide supplemental training for York County residents to better understand the new law.
Chris Blevins retired from the York County Sheriff’s Office in 2020 to pursue entrepreneurial paths in York and Clover. He has utilized his leadership and teaching skills, not only, as a law enforcement officer, but also as a positive role model for youth while coaching the Northwestern High School Baseball Team and fast-pitch softball for York Recreation Center where he also mentored youth through martial arts training. Chris’s wife, Donna Blevins, also dedicated her 28-year career to serving the citizens of York County 911 Telecommunication and civil process/records clerk for the York County Sheriff’s Office. The Blevins family has contributed a combined total of 55 years of service to our community. Chris’s long-standing aspiration to serve as Sheriff was always contingent on the right timing, along with respect, which is why he reframed from running against the current Sheriff Tolson. With the news that Tolson would be stepping away from his leadership role at the Sheriff’s Office, the timing felt right. The decision to run for Sheriff will allow Chris to bring his extensive experience and fresh perspective to the role where he can offer his unique qualifications to serve the citizens of York County.
