BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. — The race to replace longtime Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner came into sharper focus Wednesday, when Democrat Alphonso Small Jr. and Republican Doug Seifert met for a debate and staked out clear differences on immigration enforcement, staffing and policing on Hilton Head Island.
Small opened by backing a separate police department for the town of Hilton Head Island, an idea that resurfaced after the July 4 shooting on Coligny Beach. He also wants more deputies patrolling neighborhoods and doing outreach.
Seifert praised Tanner, who has led the office for nearly 30 years, and said he would largely stay that course while adding more community contact.
The sharpest split came on the office’s 287(g) partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Seifert would keep it but wants agents to be identifiable. Small would scale it back and cooperate only when ICE is pursuing someone with a criminal record.
They also differed on the rule that deputies live in the county. Small would loosen it because of housing costs, while Seifert would allow exceptions only with approval from the governor. Both said they would keep the Rekor AI cameras with footage audits and would form a traffic enforcement unit.
Early voting in Beaufort County runs Monday, Oct. 19, through Saturday, Oct. 31, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday at four early voting centers. Election Day is Nov. 3.
