Hulsey to retire as Tucker steps up in Pct. 2

As the filing deadline for candidates in the 2024 March Primary came and went, there were few surprises, with one exception: longtime Liberty County Pct. 2 Constable Les Hulsey withdrew his name from the ballot. 

That announcement came late Monday with word that John Tucker, a deputy with that same office, has filed the necessary paperwork to run for Hulsey's position. 

"It's time for me to go," Hulsey told The Vindicator. 

Hulsey, who will be 72 at the end of his term, has worked in law enforcement for 40 years and said he would be 76 before he would complete another term and, after much thought, made the call to hang it up along with his wife, who is retiring from nursing after 45 years. 

The couple is building a new beach house and are expecting their first grandchild, which Hulsey said gave him great pause, ultimately leading to his decision. 

That decision was also made easier by having a successor he believed in, which he said shouldn't matter to him, but he felt it was best to leave the department in good hands. 

Those hands belong to Tucker, a core Pct. 2 team member. 

"I'm excited for the opportunity. I'm excited for the community," Tucker said. 

Tucker has made no bones about his desire to one day run for that position, but he always expected it to come later on down the line. Given this opportunity, he hopes to continue in Hulsey's footsteps. 

"I want to be what my boss was," Tucker said. 

While Tucker clarified that everyone is different and has their own vision for what a department should look like, he hopes to continue down a similar road with Pct. 2. 

"Ultimately, the Pct. 2 team has always been a solid team, and I want to keep it that way," Tucker said. 

Hulsey will complete his term in 2024 and hopes to work with Tucker in the transition, as his election is all but a formality as he is running unopposed.