Crystal Moore Could Be South Carolina's First Female Sheriff—And Its First Gay One, Too
After filing a successful petition this past June, openly gay police chief Crystal Moore is now in the running to become Dillon County sheriff in the general election this fall.
Moore will run against Democratic incumbent Major Hulon, who is seeking a third term as sheriff. Though Moore anticipates a close race come November, she's no stranger to beating the odds in her ultra-conservative home state.
Just two years ago, residents of Latta (population 1,400) rallied around Moore after she was abruptly dismissed from her position as police chief by Mayor Earl Bullard.
Moore alleged that she was fired because she was gay, a claim that was proven true when Bullard was caught on a recording ranting about how he'd rather have a drunk watch a child than a lesbian.
When the tape surfaced, the town voted to strip the mayor of his powers and reinstate Moore to her position. A few months later, the Supreme Court passed marriage equality and Moore married her longtime partner. She even went on to receive a GLAAD award for an interview she did with MSNBC Live anchor Craig Melvin
“That firing really turned out to be a blessing in a way. I saw so much support and then the story went national, and even more people got to see how special this place is,” Moore said.
Though Moore's hometown might've learned to accept her sexuality, Dillon County (population 31,000) remains largely against the LGBT community, with 87 percent of the population voting against marriage equality in 2006.
“I’ve got no problem with how she lives her life as long as she does her job right,” said Mary Odell, a potential voter. “But I think she’s going to have an uphill fight. There are a lot of people who will hold that against her, but not say a thing out loud.”
As a petition candidate, Moore will also go in without any party support, which could possibly hurt her chances if voters select to run a straight Democrat ticket, a choice that automatically favors Hulon.
Regardless of the challenges she might face, Moore believes it's time for a change in Dillon, citing high unemployment and increased crime rates as motivating factors for her bid.
“This is just my way of serving a place that has given me so much,” said Moore, who has spent nearly all her life in the county.
