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ST. LOUIS 鈥� Alfred Montgomery insists he wasn鈥檛 surprised by his upset win over Sheriff Vernon Betts on Tuesday. And now he鈥檚 doubling down on campaign promises.

Yes, he really plans on taking over the city jail 鈥� eventually. He knows it would take a change in city law.

He鈥檒l boost courtroom security and request a state audit, again, of the office.

But he has yet to release his college transcripts.

Montgomery, 27, barely beat Betts, 71, in Tuesday鈥檚 Democratic primary, winning by just 269 of 45,279 votes, according to unofficial results.

Montgomery will almost certainly prevail in the Nov. 5 general election in the heavily Democratic city. He鈥檚 up against Libertarian Party nominee Joy Denise Dabney to win the office 鈥� which transports prisoners to and from court, provides courthouse security and serves eviction notices and other legal papers.

Betts could not be reached for comment.

Montgomery said in a Wednesday night interview that one of his first acts after being sworn in will be to seek a new state audit of the office, even though one was issued just three years ago.

That report, by then-Auditor Nicole Galloway, gave Betts鈥� office an overall rating of 鈥済ood鈥� but said it needed better controls and procedures for storage of seized property used as evidence in court cases.

Montgomery also said he鈥檒l put an initial emphasis on improving courtroom security following a threat last year by city Circuit Court judges to hire their own bailiffs because Betts didn鈥檛 have enough people to station one in each courtroom at all times.

The judges backed off in January after Betts pledged to make sure a deputy was in each courtroom where a judge or staffer is present.

And he repeated a campaign statement that he wants the sheriff鈥檚 department put in charge of the city jail, which is now run by Mayor Tishaura O. Jones鈥� administration through the city corrections division.

He said he understood that 鈥渕ay be a 10-year process鈥� 鈥� during which he hopes to build support from other city officials 鈥� and would require voter approval of a city charter amendment.

For his first four-year term as sheriff, he said, 鈥渨e have to rebuild the infrastructure of our office鈥� and improve deputies鈥� training. Also in the short term, he said, he would offer to take over some jail duties.

But he did not provide proof of his academic degree. Montgomery has claimed a bachelor鈥檚 degree in sociology from Arizona State University. But the ASU registrar鈥檚 office couldn鈥檛 find any record of his attendance.

Montgomery has said he would release transcripts to prove otherwise. But he didn鈥檛 in the week before the election, despite multiple requests. And he didn鈥檛 again during the Wednesday interview, either.

In the primary four years ago, Montgomery, a former sheriff鈥檚 deputy fired by Betts in 2019, was trounced by Betts, 61% to 28%.

So what changed?

Montgomery said he was an inexperienced candidate in 2020 and didn鈥檛 do a lot of advance preparation citywide like he did this time.

He added that 鈥渇our years ago, we had COVID.鈥� Like many candidates during the height of the pandemic, Montgomery said he didn鈥檛 campaign door to door out of concern that residents wouldn鈥檛 want to talk close-up.

In contrast, he said, a key part of his campaign this year was knocking on doors and engaging directly with potential voters at parades and other events.

Montgomery also says he was aided by endorsements this year from Jones and Aldermanic President Megan Green. Each, he said, 鈥渉elped big-time鈥� getting campaign workers to spread his message.

As of late Thursday afternoon, Montgomery said, Betts had yet to call him to concede.

He said, however, he wants to meet soon with Betts on transition issues.

鈥淲e have to put our personal feelings aside in order to move our city forward again,鈥� he said.