Shreveport church hosts community prayer for Caddo Sheriff-elect Henry Whitehorn

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) – In just 5 days, history will be made. Henry Whitehorn will be sworn into office as the first African American sheriff of Caddo Parish. Mount Canaan Baptist Church invited the community to a prayer event for sheriff-elect Whitehorn Tuesday evening (June 26).

Melodies were sung and meaningful prayers were read at the church while attendees stood together hand and hand. “God just reviled to me that this was his plan all along for me, and out of obedience for God, we were victorious,” Whitehorn said.

Last November, Henry Whitehorn defeated Republican competitor John Nickelson in the runoff election for Caddo Parish sheriff by just one vote. Following his win, a new election was called after a judge overturned the results of the runoff. Whitehorn then won the rematch on March 23 with 53% of the vote and a 4,000-vote margin over Nickelson.

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Now, Whitehorn is ready to take office. “It’s a huge time in my life just trying to make sure that I have done everything I need to do to prepare myself. The staff has been working with me, the transitions are going well,” he said.

During the prayer event, state representative Steven Jackson and Daryl Joy Walters recognized Whitehorn with a resolution highlighting his achievements. “We live in an age where sometimes people don’t want to recognize history and so putting things into the record and recognizing them on the floor of the Louisiana state legislature is a big deal,” Jackson said.

Church attendees prayed for the safety and success of the new administration and its positive impact on the lives of the residents in Caddo Parish. Whitehorn’s monumental inauguration will take place on Monday, July 1.