Alabama sheriff voted out after nearly 30 years in office, defeated by deputy he fired
Cameron Hunt beat out seven-term incumbent Jay Jones.
Mason Reed 
In a dramatic political shift for Lee County, a former deputy who was fired for launching a campaign against his boss has successfully unseated the seven-term incumbent. Cameron Hunt emerged victorious in Tuesday's election, officially ending Sheriff Jay Jones’s nearly three-decade tenure.
A Decisive Victory
According to the official election results reported by the Secretary of State, Hunt secured 51 percent of the vote, tallying 9,301 ballots compared to the 8,994 votes cast for Jones. This narrow margin marks a significant turning point for local law enforcement leadership.
The Conflict Behind the Campaign
The path to this victory was anything but conventional. As reported by 205focus.com, Hunt was fired by Jones in October 2025 after choosing to campaign for the sheriff’s office rather than resigning from his post. At the time of his termination, Hunt publicly stated that the, "entire situation was handled impulsively and improperly by Sheriff Jones."
End of an Era
Hunt’s win signals the first change in leadership for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office in 30 years. Sheriff Jones, who was first elected in 1998, is currently wrapping up his seventh term. His long history with the department dates back even further, beginning in 1975 when he first started his law enforcement career as a student at Auburn University.
