ALFRED — Incumbent York County Sheriff William L. King Jr. was returned to office Tuesday, beating his Republican opponent Roger Hicks by more than 13,000 votes.

King, of Saco, earned 53,687 votes to lead the York County Sheriff’s Office for a second four-year term.

Hicks, a retired sergeant with the department, garnered 40,243 votes, prevailing in many of the county’s smaller communities, but losing to King in some of the larger towns and in each of the county’s three cities.

King on Wednesday said he is “absolutely thrilled” with the win.

“This is basically a report card and the customers want another four years,” said King. “I am humbled by it. We have such opportunity in front of us.”

One issue not lost on King was the endorsement of Hicks, his political rival, by the union that represents patrol deputies.

“This presents a great opportunity for new beginning,” said King. “When you’re a manager, you have to make hard decisions. We’re all mature professionals. My vision is we all move forward in a unified fashion, and this represents a great opportunity to do that.”

The elected sheriff presides over the patrol division, which includes both rural patrol and deputies contracted by municipalities, the corrections division at York County Jail and the civil process division. Together, the rural patrol, jail and civil process budgets total close to $14 million.

King, 65, a Saco Democrat, became York County Sheriff on Jan. 1, 2015, after winning the election the previous fall. He joined the agency in 2010 as a major and was later named chief deputy. He is retired from the U.S. Department of Justice.

He implemented a quarterly recognition program for corrections and patrol staff, switched to a less formal, more comfortable uniform that also saves money an  vehicles to SUVs that he says are more suited to unpaved roads, inclement weather and protecting police equipment from extreme temperature variations. King said he has forged partnerships with organizations like AARP and NAMI-Maine to bring awareness and provide training to local law enforcement officers.

“The hurdle I face is ensuring safe staffing levels in the jail and on the streets so our deputies and officers return to their families at the end of their shifts,” said King. “The opioid crisis we are battling increases the risk to our deputies and corrections staff. Each traffic stop our deputies make could pose a significant danger. The same holds true for our corrections officers — I’ve said many times before, the York County Jail is holding individuals with significant criminal histories. I look forward to addressing these hurdles, as they require a sheriff with an education background and experience to properly address these contemporary policing and corrections challenges. “

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 780-9016 or [email protected]