A runoff election for Wagoner County Sheriff will take place on Tuesday.

Incumbent Sheriff Chris Elliott is running for a third term, and his challenger Tyler Cooper previously worked under Elliott as a Wagoner County deputy.

Both candidates and their supporters braved the heat on Tuesday and, in a final effort, threw their votes into the crowd less than a mile apart by waving at passing cars.

Current Sheriff Chris Elliott has been in office since 2016. Elliott says the sheriff’s office has improved during his tenure.

He says his accomplishments include implementing a 20-year pension for police officers, ensuring the sheriff’s office’s competitiveness with other departments.

Elliott says he has also been actively seeking state grants to support the sheriff’s office and expects to receive about $300,000 in the next few months.

The sheriff said he and his supporters have put a lot of work into this campaign.

“We have people in every major precinct in the county,” he said. “These are all volunteers who have given up their time to campaign and show their support not only for the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office, but for me as county sheriff.”

Elliott’s challenger is former Wagoner County jailer and deputy Tyler Cooper, who is now a lieutenant with the GRDA police.

On his campaign website, Cooper explains that he is running to improve morale and representation among MPs and to create a good working environment.

According to Cooper, his goal is also to create transparency and combat illegal immigration.

News On 6 gave Tyler Cooper several opportunities to give interviews and share his thoughts, but he declined each of these opportunities.