Changes

|office=[[Sheriff]] of Caddo Parish, [[Louisiana]]

|office=[[Sheriff]] of Caddo Parish, [[Louisiana]]

|term_start=July 1, 2000

|term_start=July 1, 2000

|term_end=July 1, 2024

|term_end=March 1, 2024

|preceded=[[Donald E. Hathaway]]

|preceded=[[Donald E. Hathaway]]

|succeeded=Henry L. Whitehorn, Sr.

|succeeded=John "Jay" Long (interim)<br>

Henry Lee Whitehorn, Sr. (permanent)

|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

}}

}}

'''Stephen Wayne Prator, Sr.''', known as '''Steve Prator''' (born September 25, 1951),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://voterportal.sos.la.gov/voter.aspx|title=Click Stephen Prator, September 1951|publisher=voterportal.sos.la.gov|accessdate=February 4, 2014}}</ref> of [[Shreveport]] is the first [[Republican Party|Republican]] since [[Reconstruction]] to serve as [[sheriff]] of Caddo Parish in far northwestern [[Louisiana]]. He began his sixth term in the office in the summer of 2020.

'''Stephen Wayne Prator, Sr.''', known as '''Steve Prator''' (born September 25, 1951),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://voterportal.sos.la.gov/voter.aspx|title=Click Stephen Prator, September 1951|publisher=voterportal.sos.la.gov|accessdate=February 4, 2014}}</ref> of [[Shreveport]] is the first [[Republican Party|Republican]] since [[Reconstruction]] to serve as [[sheriff]] of Caddo Parish in far northwestern [[Louisiana]]. He began his sixth term in the office in the summer of 2020. He stepped down four months early in his last term to accept a position from [[Governor]] [[Jeff Landry]] to serve on the Louisiana Board of Pardons.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2024/03/01/john-long-sworn-in-as-interim-caddo-parish-sheriff/72808053007/|title=John Long sworn in as interim Caddo Parish sheriff|author=Ian Robinson|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=March 1, 2024|accessdate=March 2, 2024}}</ref>

==Background==

==Background==

In 2022, Sheriff Prator killed a state program, known by the unusual name "Mister Coffee Bean," which is intended to train certain felons to teach elementary school upon their release from prison. Prator said that while he supports efforts to reduce recidivism in prison, the program could put children into danger and should not be pursued.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/education/2022/03/14/louisiana-program-put-felons-schools-teachers-suspended-caddo-sherrif-raises-issues-shreveport/7036700001/|title=Louisiana wanted to make felons teachers. Here's how the Caddo sheriff helped end the program|author=Makenzie Boucher|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=March 14, 2022|accessdate=March 17, 2022}}</ref>

In 2022, Sheriff Prator killed a state program, known by the unusual name "Mister Coffee Bean," which is intended to train certain felons to teach elementary school upon their release from prison. Prator said that while he supports efforts to reduce recidivism in prison, the program could put children into danger and should not be pursued.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/education/2022/03/14/louisiana-program-put-felons-schools-teachers-suspended-caddo-sherrif-raises-issues-shreveport/7036700001/|title=Louisiana wanted to make felons teachers. Here's how the Caddo sheriff helped end the program|author=Makenzie Boucher|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=March 14, 2022|accessdate=March 17, 2022}}</ref>

==Retirement looming==

==Finding Prator's successor==

Prator first announced that he would seek reelection to a seventh term as sheriff in the primary held on October 14, 2023; his term extends to July 1, 2024. However, he halted the reelection campaign because of a health scare involving a heart stent. He instead endorsed 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 entered a November 18 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 have easily won 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> Republican voters who sat out the runoff had only themselves to blame for Nickelson's defeat in an election with a turnout of only 28 percent. A recount on November 27 confirmed Whitehorn's one-vote margin.

Prator first announced that he would seek reelection to a seventh term as sheriff in the primary held on October 14, 2023; his term extends to July 1, 2024. However, he halted the reelection campaign because of a health scare involving a heart stent. He instead endorsed a fellow Republican, attorney and former Shreveport City Councilman John Christopher Nickelson (born September 28, 1979). Prator urges voters to back Nickelson to maintain the level of enforcing law and order and to manage the 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 entered a November 18 runoff election against the African-American Democrat Henry Lee Whitehorn, Sr. (born September 30, 1954), a private security consultant and a former U.S. marshal. 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 had stuck together, Nickelson would have easily won 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> Republican voters who sat out the runoff had only themselves to blame for Nickelson's defeat in an election with a turnout of only 28 percent. A recount on November 27 confirmed Whitehorn's one-vote margin.

 

 

 

Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Scott Jackson Crichton said that neither Nickelson or Whitehorn was at fault with the election outcome: "Ballots failing to comply with the signature requirements should have been disqualified, yet the trial court found five that were not. In an election separated by a single vote, this cannot be deemed harmless." Crichton added, "When a court is presented with proven errors, even when no candidate is responsible for those errors, it is compelled to act and uphold our Election Code." He cited the previous court ruling of ''Adkins v. Huckabay'': “A tolerance of deviations from legal requirements could lead to a manipulation of elections and affect the integrity of an election and the sanctity of the ballot.” "In this case, a new election will ensure confidence in the final outcome."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ktbs.com/news/new-caddo-sheriffs-election-moves-forward-la-supreme-court-doesnt-hear-appeal/article_53485cd4-a5e8-11ee-a8f0-c3a6cf7889ef.html|title=New Caddo sheriff's election moves forward; La. Supreme Court doesn't hear appeal|publisher=KTBS-TV (ABC) in Shreveport|date=December 28, 2023|accessdate=January 3, 2024}}</ref> Whitehorn won the rematch over Nickelson on March 23, 2024, with 21,147 votes (53 percent) to the Republican's 18,800 (47 percent). Voter turnout was 42.3 percent. Once again, many Caddo Republicans failed to show up to vote for their party nominee for sheriff.

==References==

==References==