2024 Georgia General Elections

2024 GA Primary Election

2024 GA Primary Election Runoff

Gregory Countryman Sr. was born in Plains, Georgia, and moved to Columbus after his father was stationed at Ft. Benning, Georgia. He holds a degree from Georgia Regional Command College and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Administration from Columbus State University in 2007. He also took part in FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development (L.E.E.D.S) training. Greg is married to his wife, Angela and together they have three sons and have also served as foster parents.

Gregory served as Muscogee County Marshal for 16 years and as an Assistant Adjunct Professor with Georgia Military College for seven years. He also has experience with the Columbus Housing Authority Police Department in their Drug Vice Task Force. 

Gregory Countryman Sr is the County Sheriff of Muscogee County. He was elected to this position in 2020. He has served in this position for 1 term. 

Candidate website

Believes in strong law enforcement; supports merging departments, maintaining jail capacity, boosting staff morale, and restoring public trust. Opposes gangs, proactively seizing guns and drugs, including a significant amount of illegal Fentanyl, to enhance public safety in Muscogee County.

Said, "We hope that you will join us in the mission to get Sheriff Greg Coutryman re-elected, so that he may continue his efforts to make the streets of our county safer for all Citizens."

The candidate's website says, "Numerous Guns and Drugs Seized by MCSO - Multiple Arrests Made by Sheriff's Deputies"

Believes Marshal Gregory Countryman enhanced the Marshal's Office's respect and integrity, achieving top national rankings in 2008 and 2009, despite being significantly understaffed compared to larger agencies.

Supports early intervention and community engagement through the Junior Marshal Program, which fosters citizenship and leadership to prevent youth involvement in violence, gangs, drugs, and other delinquencies, maintaining a 100% success rate since 2005.

Installed the Junior Marshal Program, which emphasized citizenship, leadership, education, fun, and teamwork. He claims "None of the students assigned with the Junior Marshal program have experience: teen violence, gang activity, drug involvement, teen pregnancy, or truancy."

Websites states as County Sheriff, he "successfully handled the merger of the Muscogee County Marshal's Office with the Sheriff's Office, maintained a Jail at its capacity, improved employee morale..."

Website states "The Sheriff’s crime suppression efforts have helped to reduce the Murder [and] Homicide rates by 40% in 2022."

- Installed the Junior Marshal Program, which emphasized citizenship, leadership, education, fun, and teamwork. He claims "None of the students assigned with the Junior Marshal program have experience: teen violence, gang activity, drug involvement, teen pregnancy, or truancy."
- Websites states as County Sheriff, he "successfully handled the merger of the Muscogee County Marshal's Office with the Sheriff's Office, maintained a Jail at its capacity, improved employee morale..."
- Website states "The Sheriff’s crime suppression efforts have helped to reduce the Murder [and] Homicide rates by 40% in 2022."

Public Safety

As of March 19, 2024, Gregory Countryman Sr’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Jail Management

Marsy's Law, A Closer Look With Sheriff Greg Countryman

The candidate's website says, "Marshal Countryman and a few of his deputies personally work to help change the lives of some of the young men at MLK Elementary School and Baker Middle School... As sheriff, he will maximize the current resources to do greater project on a larger scale."

Supports strong law enforcement; led Muscogee County Sheriff's Office, merged departments, improved jail and morale, restored trust, proactively fought gangs, seized guns and drugs, including 380,000 doses of Fentanyl, to enhance public safety.

As County Sheriff, he has worked to address gang activity as in the last two years, the County Sheriff's Office has "seized over 500 guns from the hands of gang members and convicted felons...seized $3,150,000.00 worth of drugs off the streets....[and] seized 380,000 doses of illegal Fentanyl."

Supports Marsy's Law, which seeks to give crime victims meaningful and enforceable constitutional rights equal to the rights of the accused, stating  it " gives the victims a voice, and...[and] a role in the process... acts as a force multiplier in the courtroom adding their voices to the prosecutor’s case.... Marsy's Law is one of the strongest pieces of court privileges that any victim can have."

- As County Sheriff, he has worked to address gang activity as in the last two years, the County Sheriff's Office has "seized over 500 guns from the hands of gang members and convicted felons...seized $3,150,000.00 worth of drugs off the streets....[and] seized 380,000 doses of illegal Fentanyl."
- Supports Marsy's Law, which seeks to give crime victims meaningful and enforceable constitutional rights equal to the rights of the accused, stating  it " gives the victims a voice, and...[and] a role in the process... acts as a force multiplier in the courtroom adding their voices to the prosecutor’s case.... Marsy's Law is one of the strongest pieces of court privileges that any victim can have."

Criminal Justice

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Gregory Countryman Sr

Gregory Countryman Sr. was born in Plains, Georgia, and moved to Columbus after his father was stationed at Ft. Benning, Ga. He holds a degree from Georgia Regional Command College and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Administration from Columbus State University in 2007. He also took part in FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development (L.E.E.D.S) training. Greg is married to his wife, Angela and together they have three sons and have also served as foster parents.

Gregory Countryman Sr is the County Sheriff of Muscogee County. He was elected to this position in 2021.

- Installed the Junior Marshal Program, which emphasized citizenship, leadership, education, fun, and teamwork. He claims "None of the students assigned with the Junior Marshal program have experience: teen violence, gang activity, drug involvement, teen pregnancy, or truancy."
- Websites states as County Sheriff, he "successfully handled the merger of the Muscogee County Marshal's Office with the Sheriff's Office, maintained a Jail at its capacity, improved employee morale..."
- In 2008 and 2009, the Marshal's Office was ranked by the International Association Chiefs of Police as 2nd and 1st respectively in the nation under Countryman's supervision.
- Website states "The Sheriff’s crime suppression efforts have helped to reduce the Murder/Homicide rates by 40% in 2022."

- As County Sheriff, he has worked to address gang activity as in the last two years, the County Sheriff's Office has "seized over 500 guns from the hands of gang members and convicted felons...seized $3,150,000.00 worth of drugs off the streets....[and] seized 380,000 doses of illegal Fentanyl."
- Supports Marcy's Law, which seeks to give crime victims meaningful and enforceable constitutional rights equal to the rights of the accused, stating  it "  gives the victims a voice, and...[and] a role in the process...acts as a force multiplier in the courtroom adding their voices to the prosecutor’s case....Marsy's Law is one of the strongest pieces of court privileges that any victim can have."

Gregory Countryman Sr. was born in Plains, Georgia, and moved to Columbus after his father was stationed at Ft. Benning, Ga. He was educated in the Muscogee County School District and overcame early struggles with a learning disability to achieve multiple higher education degrees. Greg is married to Angela Countryman and together they have three sons: Christopher, Gregory Jr., and William. The family has also served as foster parents for many years.

Gregory Countryman Sr. has over 30 years of law enforcement experience, including 16 years as Muscogee County Marshal and 3 years as Sheriff of Muscogee County. He has also worked with the Columbus Housing Authority Police Department, particularly in their Drug Vice Task Force. His academic background includes serving as an Assistant Adjunct Professor with Georgia Military College for seven years. Countryman is a graduate of the Georgia Regional Command College and has attended FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development (L.E.E.D.S) training.

Gregory Countryman Sr. has served as the Sheriff of Muscogee County since January 1, 2021, and prior to that, he served as Muscogee County Marshal for 16 years. He was elected as Marshal in 2004 and has been re-elected for subsequent terms. He is currently seeking re-election as Sheriff for the 2024 term.

The County Sheriff is an elected official who acts as the chief law enforcement officer in their county. They are tasked with operating the county jails, keeping courtrooms secure during trials, and keeping the public safe through proper law enforcement. Each Sheriff's Office in Georgia may look a little different in how they hire and run their teams, but all County Sheriffs have the same duties. These duties include the following:

- Operating the county jail
- Providing court security
- Serving civil papers
- Executing arrest warrants
- Providing primary law enforcement within unincorporated areas of the county
- Working with city law enforcement officers to keep municipalities safe

The County Sheriff and their office are unique to other law enforcement agencies in that it has to answer to the people it serves. Historically, a turnover in the Sheriff’s office will likely result in noticeable change within the office, so voting for this office is a very effective way to vote approval or disapproval for how county law enforcement is conducted.

The chief law enforcement officer in the county

Muscogee County Sheriff, Democratic Primary

Election results

Candidates (1)