DeWitt Police Chief Gene Conway has been elected the next Onondaga County sheriff by an 8,000-vote margin over his opponent, Democrat Toby Shelley.

Conway received 66,569 votes, or 53.01 percent, to Shelley’s 58,829 votes, or 46.85 percent, according to the Onondaga County Board of Elections.

Conway began his law enforcement career in 1977 with the Village of North Syracuse Police Department. He served in the Onondaga County Sheriff’s department from 1978 until 2002, when he became chief of the DeWitt Town Police Department.

Jason Emerson is editor of the Eagle Bulletin. He can be reached at [email protected].