NATCHEZ — Travis Patten made history Tuesday night when he was elected as the first black sheriff in Adams County since Reconstruction — a feat that made Patten proud, but was not what pleased him most.

“What I am really proud of is that I am sheriff of all people, not just one people,” Patten said.

Patten defeated Randy Freeman in the Democratic primary runoff and sealed his seat as sheriff after independent candidate Elvis Prater withdrew from the election Tuesday night following Patten’s runoff victory.

Patten received 56.4 percent of the vote and 4,880 votes to Freeman’s 3,767 votes in unofficial results.

Approximately 45.5 percent of Adams County’s 19,319 voters cast their ballots in Tuesday’s election. Patten stood on a chair and addressed a flood of supporters chanting his name at the Natchez Grand Hotel after he was named sheriff-elect.

“When we got into this election in February, nobody gave us a chance, but when you’ve got the Lord on your side …,” Patten said to an eruption of applause.

After thanking his supporters, friends and family, Patten reminded them why they had put in so much difficult work over the past few months.

“We needed to set a standard in Adams County for how business needs to be done,” Patten said. “Tonight, the Lord spoke and the people spoke.”

Natchez Police Department Chief Danny White celebrated with Patten Tuesday night and said he believes Patten’s leadership at ACSO will ensure a strong partnership between the two agencies.

“Travis is a good guy; he really is,” White said. “I believe with us working together we can make the entire community a safer place.”

Patten will take office in January and succeed current Sheriff Chuck Mayfield, who ran for reelection, but did not make the runoff, garnering only the third-highest votes in the Aug. 4 Democratic primary.Even more than his place in history, Patten said he is proud to be part of a movement that has begun in Natchez and he feels will resonate throughout the state and the nation.

“That movement, I feel, is to show that our community will no longer be separated,” he said. “That it’s not about black and white.

“What we’ve done here tonight … that’s going to bleed over into business, into the schools. The potential for Adams County is limitless.”

Freeman could not be reached for comment.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article included the incorrect number of registered voters in Adams County. The above version is correct. We regret the error and are happy to set the record straight.