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GREENSBORO — BJ Barnes won his fifth term as Guilford County’s sheriff on Tuesday night, beating his longtime friend Phil Wadsworth by a large margin, according to unofficial election results.

“We have the experience, and we are doing the job,” said Barnes, crediting the work of his staff for his re-election as he watched results come in at the Guilford County Republican Party headquarters.

“I had people coming to the polls all day today, thanking me for the work I had done. But it’s not me; it’s all of us.”

Barnes pointed to the steep reduction in crime across the county. It has dropped 42 percent overall since his election in 1994, according to the N.C. Department of Justice.

“They are the numbers the people of the sheriff’s office made happen,” Barnes said. “That was part of the issue. Also that we run a sheriff’s office that is above reproach. We haven’t had some of the issues that (other agencies) have had.”

Barnes’ re-election ensures that he will be able to oversee completion of the $114.6 million jail construction and renovation project, which he has spent years promoting.

The new 400,000-square-foot, eight-story, 1,032 -bed jail is expected to be completed by June 2012 or sooner.

Barnes said he was honored to run against Wadsworth, saying he felt Wadsworth was the most qualified of those who have run against him.

“Of the folks who were running against me for sheriff, Phil was the one with the most honor and integrity,” Barnes said.

Wadsworth, a retired state trooper, said he took pride in his solid showing considering he didn’t have the money that Barnes’ campaign had.

“I thought it would be a whole lot closer,” he said of his first try at public office. “We had very little money, and we did extremely well for the little money we had. I appreciate all my support.”

Barnes said this election differed from years past in that he saw voters move beyond typical partisanship as he picked up endorsements from organizations on both sides of the political spectrum.

“We have a lot of good folks here,” Barnes said. “We have to work together, and I recognize that and I am appreciative of the support I’ve got. … It’s humbling.”

Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or ryan.seals@news-record.com