Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Keith Moran no longer wants to be sheriff. He officially withdrew his candidacy for the November special election, saying he could better serve the public as chief deputy.
Candidates who want to enter the race have from June 28 until July 2 to qualify and pay the fees.
Rondy C. Bacon and Jerald Burgess already have announced their intents to run and a few more candidates are expected to throw their hats in the ring.
Moran submitted his official withdrawal letter to the Courier on Thursday afternoon.

An open letter to the people of Liberty County:
For the past 17 years, I have had the honor to serve in the position of chief deputy of Liberty County  and  continue to serve in that position under our current sheriff.
I also recently announced that I would seek the office of sheriff this November and continue to work for all of the people in Liberty County.
I have been humbled by the overwhelming response and support many of you have offered to achieve this goal. But now, I realize that I cannot perform my duties and responsibilities of chief deputy and also assist the current sheriff, as well as conduct an effective political campaign at the same time.
After much prayer and soul searching, I feel that I must put the service of the people of Liberty County first, and humbly withdraw my candidacy for the position of sheriff in the November special election.
I wish to thank all of you for your encouragement and support.
As always, please allow me personally and professionally to help and serve you at anytime.