Incumbent Democrat Paul Fitzgerald defeated Republican Terry Stark in the race for Story County Sheriff Tuesday night.

Fitzgerald trumped Stark 54 percent to 45 percent.

With 43 of 44 precincts reporting, Fitzgerald received 22,887 votes to Stark’s 19,072 votes.

“My campaign has always taken the high road, and … my goal for the next four years is to enhance the safety for all the citizens of Story County in a manner as fiscally efficient as possible,” Fitzgerald said.

Tears welled in the eyes of Dorene Boyd, a Fitzgerald volunteer and Story County Democrat, as she clasped her hands together letting out a large sigh of relief and proclaiming “Thank you God” looking up to the ceiling at Lucullan’s when she was surprised to hear of Fitzgerald’s victory.

“He know’s how to run Story County, and with everything he’s done in these 12 years, he make you feel safe,” Boyd said.

The race for sheriff mirrored the 2000 race where Stark faced Fitzgerald and was defeated 53 to 47 percent.

“We ran a good race, and we opened some eyes,” Stark said. “We’ll get on with our lives, there’s no question about that. It’s not a make-or-break moment.”

During his tenure, Fitzgerald said he has worked to find creative solutions to some of the problems his office is facing today, such as tight budgets.

Stark said the office hasn’t done enough to curb the budget crunch. He cited the new combined county jail and courthouse as signs of wasteful spending.

— Tom Barton contributed to this article.