Nickelson officially requests recount after appearing to lose to Whitehorn by 1 vote

CADDO PARISH, La. (KSLA) — Caddo voters appear to have narrowly elected Democrat Henry Whitehorn as their first new sheriff in 24 years Saturday (Nov. 18), according to complete but unofficial election results.

Whitehorn and Nickelson finished in a virtual tie. The two Shreveport residents were separated by only one vote, meaning a recount will be held on the Monday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 27), according to the Caddo clerk of court’s office.

Nickelson officially requested the recount Tuesday, Nov. 21.

[RELATED: Caddo clerk of court speaks on expected recount in sheriff’s race]

[RELATED: ‘Every vote counts’: Sheriff-Elect Henry Whitehorn speaks on election, future goals]

The two advanced to the runoff by leading a pack of six candidates in October’s election, when Nickelson finished as the frontrunner with 45% of the vote and Whitehorn garnered 35%. Only 4,664 votes separated the two then.

[Click here for election results]

As it stands, Whitehorn will succeed Caddo Sheriff Stephen W. “Steve” Prator, who decided against again running for reelection. His sixth term will expire June 30, 2024. Prator endorsed Nickelson in the runoff.

Nickelson previously served on Shreveport City Council. According to his website, he says he will continue to address public safety concerns and hold criminals accountable.

Whitehorn previously served as chief administrative officer and police chief for the City of Shreveport and as U.S. marshal for the Western District of Louisiana. According to his website, his focus is on addressing crime, initiating youth programs and jobs.

Almost 154,000 voters were eligible to cast ballots in the 39th Senatorial District runoff. Following is the breakdown:

Party

• Democratic 70,699 45.9%
• Republican 43,167 28.0%
• Other 40,124 26.1%

Race

• White 74,174 48.2%
• Black 72,457 47.1%
• Other 7,359 4.8%

Gender

• Male 65,509 42.5%
• Female 88,424 57.4%
• Unknown 57 0.1%

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