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ELBERT COUNTY — This year’s sheriff’s race may look a little familiar to the 10,624 registered voters of Elbert County, since this will be the third time Democrats Barry L. Haston and Melvin Andrews face off for the four-year position.

Haston and Andrew will go head to head for the position of county sheriff Tuesday in the Democratic primary. Haston and Andrew were both contenders for the position in 2000 and again in 2004, Andrews winning both times.

Haston, 50, said he has been in law enforcement since 1977. Since being in office, Haston said he has started beneficial programs for all of the citizens of Elbert County, including self-defense and drug education programs.

“I have enjoyed these past 7 1/2 years,” Haston said. “We had a lot to do, trying to modernize the sheriff’s office and fighting the drug problem that was here. We’ve made over 1,400 drug arrests, executed 680 search warrants, and violent crimes went way down.

“I’m comfortable that the majority of citizens are happy with the law enforcement that they’re getting because we’re just not a law enforcement agency. We try to spend time with citizens. We believe that the more time we spend with the people, the less we’ll have to arrest.”

Haston’s opponent, Andrews, 53, seems to be unfazed by the two previous losses.

“I still feel I can provide better services, and I still have the desire for this,” he said. “I want the chance to serve the people of Elbert County.”

Andrews, a business owner and farmer, said he is seeking the sheriff’s post to provide better service for the citizens.

“I promise to serve all the people of Elbert county with fair honest open leadership, provide the highest level of service, and help get the county out of debt,” he said.

Andrews said his four most pressing law enforcement issues are death, d rugs, domestic violence in education. He also said he would mandate random drug tests for employees and aggressively tackle inventory issues.

Andrews has previously served as police chief for the city of Bowman and sheriff’s deputy for several counties in northern Georgia.