Aaron Spencer, who faces a second-degree murder charge in the fatal shooting of a man accused of sexually assaulting Mr. Spencer’s daughter, appears to have won the Republican primary for Lonoke County sheriff, according to preliminary results from the Arkansas secretary of state.
The initial results showed Mr. Spencer winning about 54 percent of the vote, with 5,400 votes and all precincts reporting — far more than the incumbent of more than a decade, Sheriff John Staley, and a second Republican challenger.
Lonoke County is east of Little Rock, the state capital, and home to about 74,000 people. Because the county is overwhelmingly conservative, it is likely that Mr. Spencer will emerge victorious in the general election in November.
Mr. Staley conceded in a social media post in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. He congratulated his challenger and called his 13 years as sheriff “one of the greatest privileges of my life.” Mr. Spencer, in turn, thanked his supporters for backing his calls for transparency and accountability in the local justice system.
“Lonoke County sent a clear message last night, and we’re just getting started,” Mr. Spencer said in a statement on social media. “I’m running to restore accountability and integrity to the Sheriff’s Office, and the people of this county just showed they want the same thing.”
His victory puts him in the unusual position of possibly leading the law enforcement agency that is involved in his criminal case, and it demonstrates the extent to which Mr. Spencer has tapped into bubbling frustrations over the justice system.
The shooting victim, Michael Fosler, 67, was released on bond in the summer of 2024 while facing 43 felony charges, including sexual assault, all involving Mr. Spencer’s young daughter, according to court documents. A few months later, after his daughter went missing in October 2024, Mr. Spencer found Mr. Fosler trying to flee with her and fatally shot him in the middle of a confrontation.
Mr. Spencer has not denied shooting Mr. Fosler. Instead, his lawyers have argued that he had reasonable fear for his young daughter’s safety.
Should Mr. Spencer be elected and then found guilty, however, he would no longer be allowed to serve as sheriff. A trial is expected later this year; it was delayed after a new judge was assigned to the case in late January.
Ashley Ahn contributed reporting.
Emily Cochrane is a national reporter for The Times covering the American South, based in Nashville.
The post Man Charged With Murder Appears to Win Primary for County Sheriff appeared first on New York Times.
