Race for Beaufort Co. sheriff grows as Bluffton Democrat enters the field
A Bluffton Democrat has joined the race for Beaufort County Sheriff, becoming the third candidate seeking to lead the county’s top law enforcement agency.
Alphonso Small Jr., who represents District 6 on the Beaufort County School Board, announced his candidacy Wednesday. Longtime Sheriff P.J. Tanner’s announced earlier this month that he would not seek re-election after three decades in office.
Small joins two Republicans, Joey “JoJo” Woodward Jr. — a former sheriff’s office captain and repeat challenger against Tanner — and Doug Seifert — a 20-year department veteran.
Small said he brings more than 13 years of law enforcement experience, beginning as an officer at the South Carolina Department of Corrections. He later served with multiple agencies in the region, including the Hardeeville Police Department, Allendale Police Department, Hampton County Sheriff’s Office, Estill Police Department and Fairfax Police Department.
He told The Island Packet he has worked in a variety of roles, from school resource officer to lieutenant.
When asked why he stopped working in law enforcement, Small said he felt called to pursue a career in trucking. He now runs his own business running containers to and from the Savannah Port, he said.
Alphonso Small’s priorities if elected sheriff
Since being elected to the school board in 2025, Small said he has prioritized getting weapon detection systems installed in each of the area high schools in light of nationwide school shootings. He said he would apply his efforts to raise teacher pay and to increase deputies’ salaries in order to retain staff and address department vacancies.
Small previously ran for a position on the Beaufort County Council in 2022 against now Vice Chair Tab Tabernik.
If elected as sheriff, Small said, his main priority for the department would be to “regain community trust.”
“The leadership at the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office has caused a breakdown in trust over the last few years,” Small wrote in a press release to The Island Packet. “We can see it with the events at St. Helena and on Squiresgate Road. Our law enforcement officers are professional and dedicated public servants. Their work is harder when there is a loss of trust.”
Small said it starts by engaging more with the community, strengthening connections with the county’s youth and improving department morale.
“I’ve worn the uniform. Our officers need to know that leadership is there for them as well,” he wrote.
When asked how his approach as a Democrat would differ from how the department has been traditionally run, he again emphasized bringing “community-focused values” and trust-building. Small did not mention any specific policy changes.
