Ernie Coleman, a 27-year veteran of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and Washington resident, was elected Beaufort County’s new sheriff.

The Republican won by several thousand votes in his race against Democratic candidate Al J. Whitney, a juvenile court counselor, former probation officer and corrections officer.

Coleman received 10,488 votes to Whitney’s 7,227. Coleman carried the precincts of Beaver Dam, Surry-Bath, Tranter’s Creek and Woodard’s Pond by a large margin, while the majority of voters in P.S. Jones Ward 3 and Washington Ward 2 cast their votes for Whitney.

Coleman will fill the role that Beaufort County Sheriff Alan Jordan has held for four terms. Jordan declined to run for a fifth term, opening up the field to many candidates. A May primary whittled the field of nine candidates down to four — two Democrats and two Republicans, as the top vote-getters for each party neglected to win a 40-percent majority vote. In July, Democratic candidates Whitney and sheriff’s office Capt. Russell Davenport and Republican candidates Coleman and former sheriff’s office Chief Deputy Harry Meredith faced off in a second primary. Whitney and Coleman both took the second primary by substantial margins.

“I feel elated. It hasn’t set in yet,” Coleman said.

Coleman, his campaign team and supporters gathered at the Washington Civic Center Tuesday night to await election results.

He said the anticipation made for a sleepless night Monday, but there was more work to do now that the campaigning has come to a close.

“We’ve got a team of people going out tomorrow morning to pull up 70 large signs and about 1,500 yard signs,” Coleman said.

It’s his first step as Beaufort County’s sheriff-elect, but there are many more, including working to earn the respect of all Beaufort County residents and the support of the existing staff of the sheriff’s office, he said.

According to Coleman campaign manager Vic Williams, despite the mudslinging of people “outside the campaigns,” he was pleased with the character of both candidates’ campaigns.

“Al Whitney ran a clean, clean campaign and we thank him for that,” Williams said.

Coleman will be sworn into office on Dec. 1.