Jasper County auditor, sheriff and supervisor sworn in

Three elected officials in Jasper County were sworn in to their respective offices last week. County Auditor Jenna Jennings is now officially elected to the office after being appointed to it back in 2023; County Sheriff Brad Shutts takes over after a competitive primary; and Supervisor Doug Cupples secures his third term.

Senior Judge William Price swore in all three individuals before the start of the Dec. 31 board of supervisors meeting in the Jasper County Courthouse. After each person was sworn in, he allowed them a few moments to address the audience and make comments to their constituents.

Jennings thanked her friends and family for getting her through the elections process, especially when the past two years since she was appointed county auditor have been busy. In addition to running her first election in 2023, she also led her first presidential election this past year, as well as a recount.

She also thanked the public for electing her to serve as county auditor for the next four years. Shutts swore his oath of office with one hand on the Bible, which was held by his wife Stephanie Shutts. The new sheriff was surrounded by family members, who had posed for pictures in the courthouse a few minutes earlier.

“I would just like to say thank you to my family and my wife Stephanie for all their support through this process,” Shutts said after swearing in as the new sheriff, succeeding retired sheriff John Halferty. “It was a career goal. I’m glad that I have been given the blessing of the voters and the community of Jasper County.”

Cupples commended Shutts for taking his oath with his copy of the Bible. He also thanked his Lord and savior for the opportunity to serve the people of Jasper County. Cupples also thanked the people who chose to vote for him and even those who didn’t vote for him.

Jennings ran uncontested for county auditor, and the official results showed she received the most votes of any candidate on the 2024 ballot in Jasper County. While there were 175 write-in votes against Jennings, she earned a whopping 15,993 votes, or 98.92 percent of the vote. The only other candidate to get close was the sheriff.

Shutts also ran uncontested, but the real election for him was the June primary. He won over Tracy Cross and Jeremy Burdess with 834 votes, claiming 40.13 percent of the vote. Cross came close with 795 votes, or 38.26 percent, losing by only 39 votes. Burdess earned 446 votes, or 21.46 percent.

When it came time for the general election in November, Shutts secured 15,838 votes, or 97.47 percent of the vote. There were 411 write-in votes for sheriff.

Cupples was contested for his seat by no-party candidate Jerry Chandler, Jr., who has run for supervisor in the past. But the results showed it was no contest. Cupples earned a staggering 13,471 votes, or 72.13 percent, to Chandler’s 5,019 votes, 26.88 percent. There were also 185 write-in votes.

Interestingly enough, all three individuals received more votes than President-Elect Donald Trump did in Jasper County. Trump only received 12,701 votes.