ATLANTA — The Republican nominee for governor is stacking local law-enforcement endorsements in public view.
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, Rick Jackson’s campaign said 104 Georgia sheriffs have endorsed him. Atlanta News First reported the same figure on Friday, Aug. 21, framing it as a follow-on to two Democratic sheriffs who crossed party lines earlier in the week. Jackson faces Democratic nominee and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in November.
What the campaign announced
FOX 5 says the endorsement announcement was released Thursday. The campaign’s list, as summarized by FOX 5, includes sheriffs from Forsyth, Bulloch, Thomas, Cherokee, Coweta, Paulding, Pickens and dozens of other counties spanning north, middle, and south Georgia. FOX 5 also names Dawson, Fayette, Gilmer, Gordon, Jackson, Lumpkin, Rabun, Walton, and Whitfield among the counties represented.
Jackson, described by both outlets as a self-made billionaire who defeated Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in a contentious Republican runoff, tied the endorsements to a public-safety message.
In the statement FOX 5 published, Jackson said: “I’m deeply honored to earn the support of more than 100 sheriffs across Georgia, and I will never take their trust for granted.” He said his administration would prioritize resources, staffing, and support for law enforcement and tougher enforcement against violent crime.
Atlanta News First carried a longer Jackson quote emphasizing his Atlanta public-housing upbringing and a pledge that state government would be “a true partner” with sheriffs in protecting communities.
Named sheriffs on the record
FOX 5 quotes three sheriffs by name:
- Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman, immediate past president of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association, saying he trusts Jackson “to make the tough decisions” and give law enforcement needed support.
- Bulloch County Sheriff Noel Brown, saying Jackson understands local law-enforcement challenges and will listen to sheriffs.
- Thomas County Sheriff Tim Watkins, who described himself as a 33-year law-enforcement veteran and the first Republican Black sheriff in Thomas County history, saying officers “deserve a governor who listens to us, empowers us, and stands by us.”
Earlier cross-party sheriffs
Both FOX 5 and Atlanta News First note that earlier in the week Jackson picked up endorsements from Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk and Dooly County Sheriff Craig Peavy, Democrats who broke with their party to support Jackson over Bottoms. Atlanta News First’s Aug. 21 piece presents the 104-sheriff package as building on those two.
What this package is — and is not
This is a campaign endorsement announcement reported by local television newsrooms. It is not independent polling, not a Georgia Sheriffs’ Association institutional endorsement as a body, and not a claim about November results. FOX 5’s source line attributes the story to Rick Jackson’s campaign.
What to watch
- Whether the Bottoms campaign answers with its own law-enforcement or public-safety endorsement slate.
- How the sheriff list maps onto metro Atlanta versus rural counties in later reporting.
- Whether any named sheriff later qualifies or walks back the endorsement.
Primary sources: FOX 5 Atlanta — 104 Georgia sheriffs endorse Rick Jackson; Atlanta News First — Jackson campaign announces 104 sheriff endorsements.
