2024 Georgia General Elections

2024 GA Primary Election

2024 GA Primary Election Runoff

Mark Lajoye is a member of the St. Anne Pacelli Church and is associated with the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization. 

Mark Lajoye served in the US Army, National Guard, and as an FBI liaison. He also worked as a deputy with the Russell County Sheriff's Department and as the Director of Training and Operations at the Legion OTG in Blakey, Georgia. Additionally, Mark has taught advanced situation awareness, specializing in intelligence and kinesics training. 

Mark Lajoye's campaign for County Sheriff in Muscogee County is his first entry into politics.

Candidate website

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Believes Columbus citizens mistakenly expect the Police Chief to lead crime prevention, a role actually designated to the sheriff as per city charter, not including such duties under the Chief's responsibilities of reporting, personnel management, and fiscal oversight.

Believes Columbus citizens are "misinformed as to who is responsible for crime prevention in our county place...[and] added unnecessary expectations and pressure" to the Chief of the Columbus Police Department by mentioning  "Section 17-14 outlines the duties of the Police Chief...is responsible for reporting to the mayor, for personnel hired, fired, trained, etc., and for fiscal management...There is no current terminology in the city charter that puts crime prevention on the Police Chief."

Said, "We must treat violence much like we with an infectious disease by promoting prevention methods to control it."

Plans a 5-step crime strategy involving community intelligence, clergy partnership, Columbus Police collaboration, repeat offender accountability, and hotspot policing, detailed at his campaign website.

Plans to implement a 5-step crime strategy involving community intelligence, clergy partnership, Columbus Police collaboration, repeat offender accountability, and hotspot policing. 

Opposes spending a decade and $7 million on ineffective safety programs like St. Louis's Cure Violence; asserts crime is worsening indiscriminately and demands immediate crime prevention measures.

Opposes allocating significant funds towards the St. Louis's Cure Violence, calling it "ineffective". 

Supports educating the Columbus community on crime prevention, empowering residents with knowledge to reduce victimization and crime in the Valley, as advocated by Mark LaJoye.

Supports educating the Columbus community on crime prevention and empowering residents with knowledge to reduce victimization and crime in the Valley.

Wants to use information received from intelligence reports to target high crime areas.

Plans to organize a county task force deputized to have multi-jurisdictional authority.

Opposes gang activity and believes it contributes to illegal drug trade and human trafficking.

- Believes Columbus citizens are "misinformed as to who is responsible for crime prevention in our county place...[and] added unnecessary expectations and pressure" to the Chief of the Columbus Police Department by mentioning  "Section 17-14 outlines the duties of the Police Chief...is responsible for reporting to the mayor, for personnel hired, fired, trained, etc., and for fiscal management...There is no current terminology in the city charter that puts crime prevention on the Police Chief."
- Said, "We must treat violence much like we with an infectious disease by promoting prevention methods to control it."
- Plans to implement a 5-step crime strategy involving community intelligence, clergy partnership, Columbus Police collaboration, repeat offender accountability, and hotspot policing. 
- Opposes allocating significant funds towards the St. Louis's Cure Violence, calling it "ineffective". 
- Supports educating the Columbus community on crime prevention and empowering residents with knowledge to reduce victimization and crime in the Valley.
- Wants to use information received from intelligence reports to target high crime areas.
- Plans to organize a county task force deputized to have multi-jurisdictional authority.
- Opposes gun control.
- Opposes gang activity and believes it contributes to illegal drug trade and human trafficking.

Public Safety

Said, "Dealing with crime isn't just about putting people in jail... There has to be a plan in place that will not only punish criminal activity but attack the crime at its source in order to prevent it."

- Said, "Dealing with crime isn't just about putting people in jail... There has to be a plan in place that will not only punish criminal activity but attack the crime at its source in order to prevent it."

Jail Management

The candidate's website says, "Tougher sentencing laws would need to be established through legislation and the courts to deter repeat offenders."

Supports establishing harsher sentencing laws through legislation and the courts to deter repeat offenders.

Believes Columbus has a "gang problem" and supports targeting drug trade, as he believes that be the cause of gang violence rather than increasing gang arrests. 

Said "It is our duty as Americans to safeguard the constitutional rights, civil liberties, and privacy of all citizens and to ensure that the Sheriff is accountable to the people he serves."

- Supports establishing harsher sentencing laws through legislation and the courts to deter repeat offenders.
- Believes Columbus has a "gang problem" and supports targeting drug trade, as he believes that be the cause of gang violence rather than increasing gang arrests. 
- Said "It is our duty as Americans to safeguard the constitutional rights, civil liberties, and privacy of all citizens and to ensure that the Sheriff is accountable to the people he serves."

Criminal Justice

Mark Lajoye

- Believes Columbus citizens are "misinformed as to who is responsible for crime prevention in our county place...[and] added unnecessary expectations and pressure" to the Chief of the Columbus Police Department by mentioning  "Section 17-14 outlines the duties of the Police Chief...is responsible for reporting to the mayor, for personnel hired, fired, trained, etc., and for fiscal management...There is no current terminology in the city charter that puts crime prevention on the Police Chief."
- Said, "We must treat violence much like we with an infectious disease by promoting prevention methods to control it."
- Plans to implement a 5-step crime strategy involving community intelligence, clergy partnership, Columbus Police collaboration, repeat offender accountability, and hotspot policing. 
- Opposes allocating significant funds towards the St. Louis's Cure Violence, calling it "ineffective". 
- Supports educating the Columbus community on crime prevention and empowering residents with knowledge to reduce victimization and crime in the Valley.
- Wants to use information received from intelligence reports to target high crime areas.
- Plans to organize a county task force deputized to have multi-jurisdictional authority.
- Opposes gun control.

Mark Lajoye is an active member of the Catholic community, attending St. Anne Pacelli Church and doing charity with the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization. He has earned both bachelor’s and associate degrees in Criminal Justice Management. 

Mark Lajoye served in the US Army for 41 years and the National Guard for 17 years. He has worked as a deputy with the Russell County Sheriff's Department and served as the Director of Training and Operations at the Legion OTG in Blakey, Georgia. Additionally, Mark has taught advanced situation awareness, specializing in intelligence and kinesics training. He has experience as an FBI liaison.

- Believes Columbus citizens mistakenly expect the Police Chief to lead crime prevention, a role actually designated to the sheriff as per city charter, not including such duties under the Chief's responsibilities of reporting, personnel management, and fiscal oversight.
- Said, "We must treat violence much like we with an infectious disease by promoting prevention methods to control it."
- The candidate's website says, "Mark served as an FBI liaison, collaborating on federal investigations and enhancing inter-agency cooperation to combat organized crime and terrorism threats... His work with the FBI further deepened his understanding of the complexities of modern law enforcement."
- Believes in strong public safety; Mark served 14 years with the City Police Department, working in SWAT, fugitive recovery, vice/narcotics, and bomb tech.
- Plans a 5-step crime strategy involving community intelligence, clergy partnership, Columbus Police collaboration, repeat offender accountability, and hotspot policing, detailed at his campaign website.
- Opposes spending a decade and $7 million on what he believes to be ineffective safety programs like St. Louis's Cure Violence; asserts crime is worsening indiscriminately and demands immediate crime prevention measures.
- Supports educating the Columbus community on crime prevention and empowering residents with knowledge to reduce victimization and crime in the Valley.
- Wants to use information received from intelligence reports to target high crime areas.
- Plans to organize a county task force deputized to have multi-jurisdictional authority.
- Said, "Accolades and photo ops aren't enough to handle the deep mess our city is in nor can it hide the evident amount of increased gang and criminal activity, we are seeing on a daily basis."
- Opposes gun control.
- Said, "I have spoken extensively on the Central and South American gangs that have infiltrated our borders amongst the hundreds of thousands of migrants that are illegally crossing our unsecured borders."
- Said, "It’s only a matter of time before black gangs will clash with Hispanic and white gangs vying for street control of the illegal drug trade and human trafficking!"

- The candidate's website says, "The sheriff shall perform the same duties and exercise the same powers as are conferred upon sheriffs generally by the constitution and laws of Georgia... This includes the implied duty of managing the functions, personnel, and incarcerated individuals of the Muscogee County Jail."
- Said, "Dealing with crime isn't just about putting people in jail... There has to be a plan in place that will not only punish criminal activity but attack the crime at its source in order to prevent it."

- Supports establishing tougher sentencing laws through legislation and the courts to deter repeat offenders.
- Believes Columbus has a "gang problem" and that making more arrests is not the answer. He supports targeting drug trade which he believes to be the cause of gang violence.
- Said, "In 2023 Sheriff Greg Countryman purchased a $93,000 Zodiac rubber boat from city taxpayer funds. Can’t this expensive water craft be used for something more than just sitting behind the jail in the parking lot gathering dust?"
- Said, "It is our duty as Americans to safeguard the constitutional rights, civil liberties, and privacy of all citizens and to ensure that the Sheriff is accountable to the people he serves."

Mark Lajoye is a long-time resident of Muscogee County and an active member of the Catholic community, attending St. Anne Pacelli Church since 1998. He has earned both bachelor’s and associate degrees in Criminal Justice Management. Details about his family life are not provided, nor is information about where he attended school.

Mark Lajoye is a seasoned law enforcement professional with a background in Army intelligence and Special Ops, serving in the US Army for 41 years and the National Guard for 17 years. He has worked as a deputy with the Russell County Sheriff's Department for four years and served as the Director of Training and Operations at the Legion OTG in Blakey, Georgia. Additionally, Mark has taught advanced situation awareness, specializing in intelligence and kinesics training. He is a retired 1SG of the Aco. 20th Special Forces Group (A) with experience in combat deployments and NATO Missions.

As of April 3, 2024, Mark Lajoye’s website did not contain information on this issue.

The candidate's website says, "Mark served as an FBI liaison, collaborating on federal investigations and enhancing inter-agency cooperation to combat organized crime and terrorism threats... His work with the FBI further deepened his understanding of the complexities of modern law enforcement."

Believes in strong public safety; Mark served 14 years with the City Police Department, working in SWAT, fugitive recovery, vice/narcotics, and bomb tech.

The candidate's website says, "The sheriff shall perform the same duties and exercise the same powers as are conferred upon sheriffs generally by the constitution and laws of Georgia... This includes the implied duty of managing the functions, personnel, and incarcerated individuals of the Muscogee County Jail."

The candidate's website says, "Mark has taught others and will continue to educate future generations, these invaluable skills for public defense."

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, Republican Primary

Election results

Candidates (1)