Heroux wins Democratic nomination for Bristol County sheriff, will face Tom Hodgson

ATTLEBORO, Mass. (WLNE) — With the Massachusetts primary election in the books, the focus for the winning candidates now moves on to the general election on Nov. 8.

One of the most intriguing primary races that came down to the wire was for the Democratic nomination for Bristol County sheriff.

Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux was officially been named the Democratic nominee Wednesday morning, with the Associated Press calling the race with Heroux winning more than 40% of the vote. Before the official win, he declared victory in the three-man race late Tuesday night.

Now, he sets his sights on Thomas Hodgson, who has served as sheriff in Bristol County since 1997 and won the GOP nomination running unopposed. Both men spoke with ABC 6 News on Wednesday following the primary, and are already going back-and-forth.

“It seems like something’s going wrong with the way they’re offering rehabilitation,” Heroux said. “He doesn’t know if his drug treatments work, his anger management work.”

Heroux secured the Democratic seat in the November General Election with more than 40% of the vote, according to the Associated Press, besting his Democratic opponents Nicholas Bernier and George McNeil. ABC 6 has reached out to both campaigns on if they plan to support Heroux heading into the General Election.

George McNeil’s campaign issued a statement that reads, “I want to thank my team, volunteers, and supporters. I am proud of the campaign we ran, and humbled that so many people offered support. I hope this race has shed some light on the environment and conditions of the Bristol County Sheriffs Department and brings needed changes.”

Bernier’s campaign has not responded to ABC 6’s request. Heroux had said he would support the winning candidate if he did not win the primary.

While speaking to ABC 6 Wednesday, the Attleboro mayor called out Hodgson and said the sheriff has become too comfortable in the position he’s held for more than two decades.

Heroux’s criticism of the current sheriff included that he’s not properly preparing inmates to be better citizens after their release from jail.

“Not everybody is getting a discharge plan. I’ve heard that from families, I’ve heard that from inmates, I’ve heard that from staff,” Heroux said.

When asked about the comments, Hodgson disagreed. And said the prison has strict rules they follow every shift to ensure they’re operating at their highest standard.

“You won’t find many people who are going to tell you that I’m a guy that’s sat back and is very comfortable about anything,” Thomas Hodgson said. “We’re all about public safety. Maximizing every opportunity under the powers of the office of sheriff to keep citizens safe, and to make sure inmates are focused on their rehabilitation.”

One way Hodgson said they work to rehabilitate inmates is by teaching inmates new tools to life to bring with them once they’re out. But in Bristol County, the three-year recidivism rate, according to the department of corrections, is 40%. That means 4 out of 10 released inmates will end up back in jail within three years, which ranks among the highest in Massachusetts.

Both candidates now said they will campaign heavily leading up to the Nov. 8 election, including knocking on doors and speaking out in the public to get their message across to voters.