Schuylkill County Sheriff Joseph Groody, a Democrat, has been re-elected for another four-year term.

Unofficial results show Groody with 18,358 votes and Doug Litwhiler, a Republican, with 12,657. There were 67 write-in votes cast. Results are unofficial until certified by the county election board.

Groody received the news while at his catering hall in Ashland. He thanked his supporters.

“I feel very good,” he said.

He was first elected in 2009. Before that he was appointed, serving for two years.

Groody said he is looking to make improvements as needed.

“Right now we have a great office and a great bunch of deputies,” he said.

He believes name recognition and good campaigning contributed to the win.

Litwhiler learned of the results at home. He thanked his parents and his girlfriend for their support.

“I ran a clean race,” he said.

He acknowledged the uphill battle.

“It was me versus everybody to start,” Litwhiler said, adding some in the party were not for his candidacy.

He will continue being chief of police of North Union Township and a patrol officer in Schuylkill Township.

While he admitted defeat by the voters, the courtroom he said will be different.

“He won this time, but I will win in court when I see him in court,” Litwhiler said.

The race between Groody and Litwhiler has been fraught with controversy. Litwhiler sued Groody, Anthony Kodack and Ranae Warcola in Schuylkill County Court. The filing, for defamation and civil conspiracy, alleges Groody threatened Litwhiler in a phone call and said that “it was going to be Groody’s last term and requested Litwhiler wait four years.”

According to the suit, Groody also told Litwhiler that if he entered the sheriff’s race, that he “would ruin plaintiff’s reputation, his jobs and his family.” It also alleges the posts were made at Groody’s direction and that the statements were made with “reckless disregard as to the truth of falsity of the statements.”

The sheriff has denied the accusations. Kodack is the creator of the page “Schuylkill County Sheriff Candidate Doug Litwhiler likes young girls,” which he said he started to give women an outlet to speak. Warcola is an administrator of the page.

Senior Judge Robert J. Eby ordered the complaint dismissed with prejudice last week, meaning Litwhiler cannot refile. In making his ruling, Eby also sustained the preliminary objections filed by Warcola and Kodack in answer to the complaint. Among other reasons, Eby wrote the “plaintiff’s failure to specifically identify the actual defamatory statements or the defendant allegedly making the statements, renders his complaint insufficient.”

James Bohorad, solicitor for the sheriff’s office, confirmed again Tuesday the order does not pertain to Groody because he had not been served. Bohorad said he spoke with the clerk for Eby.

Groody said he has been given the documents.

He said the sheriff intends to file preliminary objections in a timely manner.

“We’re confident that the lawsuit will ultimately be dismissed against Sheriff Groody, too,” he said.