Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat secures another term
Sheriff Pat Labat (Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office)
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat successfully punched his ticket for re-election after winning the 2024 primary election.
It was a tough election year for Labat, who has faced much criticism for the current state of the Fulton County Jail. FOX 5 Atlanta has covered many stories of violence between inmates, multiple inmate deaths, a lack of beds, and even toured the overcrowded, deteriorating facility.
Labat, himself, admitted the jail was in crisis.
Despite the criticism, voters chose to continue supporting Labat, giving him 54% of the vote - more than enough to avoid a runoff.
Who was Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat running against?
Sheriff Labat faced three Democratic challengers: Kirt Beasley, James "JT" Brown and Joyce Farmer.
Kirt Beasley
Kirt Beasley (Credit: Beasley for Fulton Sheriff, Facebook)
Kirt Beasley is a retired criminal justice veteran from Mississippi. She served at the Fulton County Jail for years and held a role within the sheriff's office from 2002-2003.
Learn more about Kirt.
James "JT" Brown
James "JT" Brown (Credit: James JT Brown, Facebook)
James "J.T." Brown is a Detroit native who joined the Fulton County Sheriff's Office after graduating from Morehouse College in 1985.
After 20 years with the sheriff's office, Brown transitioned to serve as a Fulton County Reserve Officer until he retired in 2022.
Learn more about James.
Joyce Farmer
Joyce Farmer (Credit: Joyce Farmer, Facebook)
Joyce Farmer is a Macon-born law enforcement professional with 30 years of experience. She began her career in the Fulton County Jail in 1989 before retiring in 2018 and joining the East Point Police Department.
You may recognize her from an appearance on the hit A&E Television Show, "Beyond Scared Straight."
Learn more about Joyce.
What does the Fulton County sheriff do?
The duties of the sheriff include overseeing the operation and administration of the Fulton County Jail, providing security for all courtrooms and judges and providing warrant service/civil process, special operations and investigative units and conducting delinquent property tax sales, according to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office official website.
What's next for the Fulton County sheriff's race?
Since the Fulton County Sheriff's race had no Republican challengers, Labat would not only have won the Democratic ticket, but, by default, would also be the winner of the general election that takes place on Nov. 5, 2024.