Voters headed to polls to cast votes in General Election ballot for Johnson County, Kansas Sheriff candidates Doug Bedford, Byron Roberson

Roberson won 51% of the vote over Republican candidate Doug Bedford, a former undersheriff who knocked Hayden out of the race in the August primary. The historic win marks new ground for Democrats and further cements Johnson County’s evolving identity as a party stronghold in Kansas.

Byron Roberson, the Prairie Village Police Chief, is the first Democrat in years to hold the position of Johnson County Sheriff. Incumbent Calvin Hayden, a Republican, lost in the August primary to Doug Bedford.

With incumbent Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden losing his bid for reelection in the August primary, voters Tuesday decided on a new sheriff.