Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 8, 1995                   TAG: 9511080021
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A8   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                 LENGTH: Medium

REPUBLICAN MARRS DEFEATS 3 CHALLENGERS

Republicans kept control of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office for four more years, but a new person will be wearing the badge.

Doug Marrs, a lieutenant of investigations with the Christiansburg Police Department, turned back three other challengers, outdistancing his closest opponent by 906 votes. He captured 40.6 percent of the vote.

"I like the sound of that," Marrs said, as people congratulated him and called him "sheriff." He said he has not made any key decisions yet, such as who will be his chief deputy.

"I want to thank all the citizens of Montgomery County for having confidence in me and voting me in as their sheriff," Marrs said.

His plans for today?

"Take signs down," he said as Republican supporters reveled at the county courthouse in Treasurer Ellis Meredith's office.

Marrs, 48, had covered about 80 percent of the county in a door-to-door campaign, stressing his management experience. He has supervised employees, been involved in budgetary and policy decisions, written grant proposals and taught at regional police academies. He takes office Jan. 1.

Other candidates were: Democrat Jerry Olinger, an investigator with the Virginia Tech Police Department, who placed second with 35.5 percent of the vote; Independent Garnett Adkins, a deputy sheriff at the Radford City Sheriff's Office; and O.P. Ramsey, also running as an independent, captain of law enforcement for the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's campaign lasted just longer than the O.J. Simpson trial, with Olinger declaring in June 1994. Adkins, who finished fourth, entered the race the following month. Marrs announced in February and won nomination in May; Ramsey, who finished third, announced in June as an independent.

"It's been a hard campaign for all of us," Olinger said as the numbers went up outside the registrar's office.

Marrs' election means the county will have its third sheriff in 12 years. Outgoing Sheriff Ken Phipps defeated 14-year incumbent Louis Barber, a Democrat, in 1991. But Phipps decided not to seek a second term.

Keywords:
ELECTION