Morgan wins Esc. Co. Sheriff primary

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) - In a landslide victory over John Powell, David Morgan won the Republican primary for Escambia County Sheriff. Morgan, the incumbent, has served in the office since 2008.

Once a young man who aspired to get into law enforcement, Morgan is living his dream.

“I look forward to going to work everyday," Sheriff Morgan said. "I’ve been doing it now for almost four years, and I can tell you that there’s never a morning where I wake up and say, ‘I really don’t want to go in to the office.”

At his election party at the Gregory Street Assembly Hall, Morgan addressed his team- made up of family, friends, and deputies. He said his work is just beginning, as Pensacola continues to fight an uphill battle, trying to rid its streets of guns and drugs. It's a task Sheriff Morgan says his department can’t do alone.

“We want to continue to focus and build relationships with the city of Pensacola- we have a great working relationship with them- and also with our federal agencies, the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, DEA, FBI- in joining together with them to form more effective task forces where we can collectively approach some of these problems with crime," Sheriff Morgan said.

Morgan believes crime is starting in the household at a young age.

“We have an issue with parenting," Sheriff Morgan said. "We have issue with young children that are not being nurtured and brought up in healthy environments where drugs and criminal activity are an accepted part of a culture. So we’ve got to change that culture. So we’re going to start focusing on those things, and I proud to tell you some of area churches are partnering with us, too.”

Morgan will have to defeat a write-in candidate, Mindy Lynn Pare, on the November ballot to officially remain the Escambia County sheriff.