FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – At 11 a.m. on Monday, Sheriff Mike Fridley was sworn in by Judge Ewing for his second term as Sheriff of Fayette County.
Fridley, who has already served one term as sheriff from 2016 to 2020, overcame his opponent Charles Miller in a tight race for the title.
“It was a hard-fought victory for him in the election,” Judge Ewing said during Monday’s ceremony. “I congratulate him for earning his second term. This is a special occasion for not only Sheriff Fridley and for the family but also for others in the Sheriff’s Department who are here in support this morning.”
Per West Virginia law, a sheriff is limited to two consecutive four-year terms. If Fridley wants to run for sheriff a third time, he cannot do so until 2029.
Fridley expressed that he currently has no plans for what he will do following the end of his second term in 2025.
During the ceremony, Fridley thanked his wife, two daughters, and the county for their constant support.
“Today, I was humbled and honored to take the Oath of Office for Sheriff of Fayette County for a second term. The citizens of Fayette County spoke during the election, and they put me back in here…Thank you for backing and supporting me.” Fridley said.
“I’m ready to keep moving forward. This is about the men and women who work for me. I say this all the time. They take care of me, and we, as a team, take care of the county.”
Sheriff Fridley says he knew he wanted to be the Sheriff of Fayette County since he walked into the department in 1997.
“It was something I knew I wanted to accomplish and work towards, and now we done it,” he told Lootpress.
Outlining his goals for the new term, Fridley says he wants to continue working on the county’s drug problem, to keep after those who need to be arrested, to keep updating the department’s equipment, to keep hiring well-trained officers, and to work toward pay raises for deupties.
“I just want to keep moving forward. We got a lot accomplished in my first term, and I just want to see bigger and better things this term.”
Fridley will officially assume his second term as Fayette County Sheriff at midnight on Jan. 1.
