Floyd County Sheriff Tim Burkhalter said he was glad the “parenthesis behind the name did not define the man or the candidate.”

Burkhalter was talking about the “D” for Democrat behind his name on the ballot.

While Georgia and Floyd County largely voted Republican, Burkhalter easily defeated his challenger, Republican Cary Cooper. The vote count was 21,013 for Burkhalter to 10,480 for Cooper — 66.70 percent to 33.26 percent.

Speaking by phone on Tuesday night, Burkhalter said he was elated.

“I will be so tickled to death to have one weekend to rest,” he said.

Cooper did not immediately return a phone call

to his cell phone seeking comment.

Cooper is a retired Floyd County police officer.

“I commend my opponent for running a good race and being a worthy adversary and sticking to the issues,” Burkhalter said.

Burkhalter won his third term in office. He was first elected in 2004, defeating 12-year incumbent Tommy Rickman in the Democratic primary.

He fended off challenges by Republican Steve Hulsey in 2004 and 2008.

Burkhalter said during the next four years he plans to continue the work he has started in his previous two terms, which includes programs that “are what the constituents want.”

The programs include the “Are you OK?” program, where elderly people who live alone are given a welfare call daily, and the Turning Point program to help wayward teems, which will be featured on the AMC program “Beyond Scared Straight” in a few weeks, Burkhalter said.

“Thank you for believing in me,” Burkhalter said when asked what he would say to the voters.

And has he has done after every election, Burk­halter said he plans to be on Turner McCall Boulevard near CVS sometime after his new term begins waving his “thank you” sign to voters.