A group of Aiken area Republicans got to meet three candidates running to be the Republican nominee for Aiken County sheriff Tuesday afternoon.
Stuart Prettel, Marty Sawyer and Ed Wilson participated in a candidate forum at the Aiken Republican Club meeting held at Newberry Hall.
Club President K.T. Ruthven began the forum by giving each candidate three minutes to introduce himself to those attending.
Prettel said he's lived in Aiken County for 35 years.
He said he grew up on Long Island and served in the Navy. He added his adoptive mother is a member of the Marine Corps.
Prettel said he started working in law enforcement in 1977. He said he worked narcotics and a D.U.I. task force. Prettel added he's done pretty much everything in law enforcement.
Prettel added he patrolled the Midland Valley for three years and frequently visited the people living in his patrol area.
Sawyer is currently a captain at the Aiken Department of Public Safety.
He said he grew up in Aiken County having graduated from Midland Valley High School and been a longtime member at St. John's United Methodist Church.
Sawyer said he started his law enforcement career in 1989. He said he started on road patrol then went to community services and narcotics before being promoted to captain in 2012.
He added he's a graduate of an FBI law enforcement training class that only 1% of police officers have attended.
Wilson said he is the owner of Georgia-Carolina Bail Bonds, a bounty hunter and has lived in Aiken County for 32 years.
He said he was born in Tennessee and raised in Ohio.
Wilson said he served in the military including a tour in Vietnam. He said he worked as a deputy for the Richmond County Sheriff's Office and the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.
He said he worked undercover narcotics in Aiken County before becoming police chief of a city for four years.
The Republican primary will be held June 11.
A runoff would be held June 25 if necessary.
The winner of the nomination will face Democrat Lucas Grant in the Nov. 5 general election.
The winner of the general election will replace Michael Hunt.
Hunt announced last year he wouldn't seek another term. He endorsed Sawyer when he made his announcement.
