OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Marco Lopez has won the Osceola County Sheriff’s race, making him the first Hispanic sheriff in the county’s history, according to early poll results.
Lopez, a former Osceola County sheriff’s deputy, defeated other former deputy Luis “Tony” Fernández, according to precincts reporting.
READ: Osceola County voters to elect first Hispanic sheriff in November
Whichever candidate won, he would have been the county’s first Hispanic sheriff.
While the county’s Hispanic population is estimated to be around 55%, only a third of the deputies employed by the sheriff’s office are Latinos.
READ: Osceola County Sheriff: Meet the two candidates running for office
Lopez, who won a primary against incumbent Russ Gibson, previously said he wants to implement a committee advisory review board and a veterans liaison department.
He said he also wants to focus on de-escalation training and mental health practices while working to boost morale at the department.
Lopez is a Navy veteran who served more than 22 years on active duty and in the reserves. According to his campaign website, during his service Lopez was trained in counterterrorism, logistics and operations.
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Lopez served the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office for more than 16 years as a firearms and defensive tactics instructor while working investigations, street crimes, sex crime stings and as a member of the community response team.
According to his website he also owns the security consultancy firm Lo-Jeng Tech, working to help small businesses, churches and nonprofit organizations with active shooter training, violence in the workplace, cybersecurity and revising security related policies and procedures.
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