The suspended Sheriff in Pike County will not be running for re-election.
The development came down earlier this week after the Pike County Board of Elections disqualified the petition of Sheriff Charles Reader.
Reader, who was first appointed as Sheriff in 2015, won in a landslide election the following year. Under his watch, the county oversaw the state’s largest homicide investigation, which led to the arrest of an entire family, his campaign said. He filed to seek re-election in March.
Reader was suspended in July 2019, pending the outcome of cases that should conclude later this year. Filing deadlines for the election took place before the conclusion of the process. Despite facing criminal indictments for allegations of corruption, Reader was still allowed to run for Sheriff because he is not convicted.
The Board of Elections said Reader was removed from the ballot because he only had 83 valid voter signatures, when he needed 89. He turned in 108, but many were removed for not being registered voters.
Democrat Jim Nelson, who is the interim Sheriff, will face-off independent Tracy Evans in November.