Changes

|term_end=July 1, 2024

|term_end=July 1, 2024

|preceded=[[Donald E. Hathaway]]

|preceded=[[Donald E. Hathaway]]

|succeeded=

|succeeded=Henry L. Whitehorn, Sr.

|birth_place=Clarksville<br>Montgomery County<br>[[Tennessee]]

|birth_place=Clarksville<br>Montgomery County<br>[[Tennessee]]

|birth_date=September 25, 1951

|birth_date=September 25, 1951

==Retirement looming==

==Retirement looming==

Prator was not a candidate for a seventh term as sheriff in the primary held on October 14, 2023; his term extends to July 1, 2024. He is instead endorsing a fellow Republican, attorney and former Shreveport City Councilman John Nickelson. Prator urges voters to back Nickelson to maintain the level of law and order and to manage the sheriff's  department on a fiscally sound basis.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/election/2023/07/16/former-city-councilman-john-nickelson-is-running-for-caddo-parish-sheriff/70400665007/|title=Former City Councilman John Nickelson is running for Caddo Parish Sheriff|author=Makenzie Boucher|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=July 16, 2023|accessdate=July 17, 2023}}</ref> Nickelson will enter a November runoff election against the African-American Democrat Henry L. Whitehorn, Sr. In the primary Nickelson finished with 45 percent to Whitehorn's 35 percent. Other candidates for sheriff eliminated in the primary were Republicans Shayne Gibson and Eric Hatfield and the Democrats Patricia "Pat" Gilley and Hersy Jones, Jr. If all the Republican voters stick together, Nickelson would easily win the second balloting.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 24, 2023.</ref>

Prator was not a candidate for a seventh term as sheriff in the primary held on October 14, 2023; his term extends to July 1, 2024. He is instead endorsing a fellow Republican, attorney and former Shreveport City Councilman John Nickelson. Prator urges voters to back Nickelson to maintain the level of law and order and to manage the sheriff's  department on a fiscally sound basis.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/election/2023/07/16/former-city-councilman-john-nickelson-is-running-for-caddo-parish-sheriff/70400665007/|title=Former City Councilman John Nickelson is running for Caddo Parish Sheriff|author=Makenzie Boucher|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=July 16, 2023|accessdate=July 17, 2023}}</ref> Nickelson will enter a November runoff election against the African-American Democrat Henry L. Whitehorn, Sr. In the primary Nickelson finished with 45 percent to Whitehorn's 35 percent. Other candidates for sheriff eliminated in the primary were Republicans Shayne Gibson and Eric Hatfield and the Democrats Patricia "Pat" Gilley and Hersy Jones, Jr. If all the Republican voters stick together, Nickelson would easily win the second balloting.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 24, 2023.</ref> However, Nickelson in a much lower turnout was defeated by Whitehorn by a single vote, 21,620 to 21,621.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 18, 2023.</ref>

==References==

==References==