Heroux prevails in tight race over Hodgson for Bristol County sheriff

NEW BEDFORD — Despite a bruising campaign and a tight race on election night against 25-year incumbent Thomas Hodgson, Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux said he and his team had "good vibes" awaiting the Bristol County sheriff's race results at the Somerset VFW.

"I knew early on it was going to be a close race. We all knew that, but we kind of suspected we were going to win. In fact, at one point I pulled my team aside, and I told them, 'Guys, we're going to win this.'"

He was back on his job as Attleboro mayor in the morning, after turning in around 4 a.m., and was scheduled to attend a Council on Aging meeting, and a new high school development meeting before a press conference at his home to discuss his win.

He added that this was always going to be his third and final term as Attleboro mayor. "That was always my intention, so instead of having one more year I have less than two more months."

As sheriff, he intends to serve one, maybe two terms. "If I can achieve what I want in one term, then great. I'm not going to be a sheriff for life."

Heroux said he's glad to get his life back after the long campaign, and he will now be planning on the transition."Now I have to try to do the things I talked about on the campaign," he said.

During a campaign forum hosted by the Immigrants' Assistance Center, the NAACP New Bedford branch, United Interfaith Action of Southeastern Massachusetts, Women's Fund SouthCoast, and the YMCA of Southeastern Massachusetts, Heroux said he wanted to establish a "national model of evidence-producing corrections."His top priority is to run the county jail, he said, adding the position could be summed up by the phrase, "Care, custody, control and rehabilitation."

Heroux has said he also wants to establish a working standard with staff that would start with mutual honesty and communication.

He said inmates requiring mental and medical health treatment would have access to needed care. "Otherwise we're violating the Eighth Amendment" prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment.

A risk needs assessment will be performed on those entering the system to determine if there are drug or behavior issues that need to be addressed.

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He said an individual's eventual discharge should be anticipated, as well. That means the "three pillars" of discharge planning will be implemented to set up people for a successful return to society:

• housing to reduce homelessness upon release;

• employment through education and skills training;

• health care including drug addiction treatment and mental health treatment.

Hodgson, 67, had said there was "a stark difference" between the candidates during the campaign, and the pair's acrimonious shared-appearances seemed to bear that out.

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The incumbent contrasted his experience with Heroux's, claiming the Democrat had no law enforcement and very little corrections experience, and has "hopped from one political job to the next to the next."

Heroux countered that he had more experience in corrections than Hodgson did when he was first appointed to the job.

Heroux worked in Philadelphia prison system

From 2006 to 2008 Heroux worked in the Philadelphia prison system as assistant to Commissioner Leon A King. From 2008 to 2009, he worked for the Mass. Dept. of Correction as director of research and planning as a gubernatorial appointee under the Patrick Administration.

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The two candidates had even disagreed on the position's role during the campaign.

Hodgson said of Heroux, "He said it's not a law enforcement job. Look at the definition, go to the dictionary. It says the sheriff is the number one law enforcement official in the county."

Hodgson had also noted during the campaign that he had picked up all the law enforcement endorsements, including from the Massachusetts State Police, New Bedford Police Union, Fall River Patrolmen's Association, Taunton Police Patrolmen's Association, Taunton Supervisors' Association, Local 306 of the Dighton Police Union, and the Rehoboth Police Union.

Heroux said during the campaign, "In 2017 the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court said that the sheriff is not a police officer. The job of a sheriff is corrections in Massachusetts."

Heroux said the sheriff's main job is to run the county jail. He said the sheriff's office can be involved in law enforcement, but probably shouldn't be in the manner practiced by local, state and federal law enforcement.Hodgson has been a controversial figure at times during his tenure.

Hodgson made national headlines

He attracted national headlines in 2017 when he offered to send immigrant detainees to the border with Mexico to help build former President Donald Trump's proposed border wall.

The state Attorney General, following an investigation, found that Hodgson violated immigrant detainees' civil rights through use of excessive force during a violent incident at the Bristol County House of Correction on May 1, 2020. The Department of Homeland Security then ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement to terminate its contract with the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office and transfer any remaining detainees to another facility in May 2021. The suicide rate in Bristol County jails had also drawn criticism, which included a recent suicide at the Ash Street Jail, and an attempted suicide the same day.

Heroux saw it as a 'winnable' race

On election night as he greeted supporters while the initial numbers started rolling in, Heroux thanked those who volunteered for his campaign, saying, "I said this is a winnable race, but I can't do it alone and I think the outcome tonight will be a testament to that and I did not do it alone…. This race for sheriff, it's definitely time for a change. Everyone knows Hodgson's reputation and the controversies he's been embroiled in…."

Hodgson was first appointed to the position by Republican Gov. Bill Weld. He won the election to a full six-year term the next year and was reelected three times afterward. The last time he faced an election challenge was in 2010.

Heroux has served as Attleboro mayor since 2018 and won three elections for that office. He was also a state representative for the 2nd Bristol District from 2013 to January 2018, before his inauguration as mayor.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Hodgson loses to challenger Heroux in Bristol County sheriff race