ROCHESTER, N.Y - Incumbent Republican Patrick O’Flynn was unseated by Democratic challenger Todd Baxter in the race for Monroe County Sheriff.
O'Flynn was seeking a fifth term and had been in office since 2001, after taking over for Andrew Meloni.
O'Flynn's experience was a central selling point during his bid for re-election, but it failed to persuade voters.
Baxter has more than 20 years of experience with the Rochester Police Department and served four years as police chief for the Town of Greece.
Baxter was a longtime registered Republican, but switched parties to run against O'Flynn.
After serving in the Army, Baxter attended Monroe Community College and joined the Rochester police in 1987. He served as the Greece police chief for four years. Prior to running for Monroe County sheriff, Baxter served as the executive director of the Veterans Outreach Center.
The Monroe County sheriff serves a four-year term, overseeing nearly 1,100 employees and balancing a budget of approximately $150 million.
One major challenge facing Baxter in the coming term will be expanding resources to deal with the opioid crisis in the area. Monroe County had 169 opioid-related deaths in 2016.