ICYMI: All Four Sheriffs of District 117 Endorse Houston Gaines
Bipartisan group of law enforcement support Gaines re-election
Today, all four sheriffs of House District 117 announced they are endorsing State Representative Houston Gaines - a bipartisan group of support from across the district.
Sheriffs Scott Berry (Oconee County), Ira Edwards (Athens-Clarke County), Janis Mangum (Jackson County), and Jud Smith (Barrow County) announced their support of Gaines. The Police Benevolent Association also recently announced its endorsement of Gaines.
“I’m honored to have the support of all four sheriffs in the district - a diverse, bipartisan group of leaders who are working to keep our communities safe,” Gaines said. “Now is the time we need to come together in support of law enforcement and pray for their safety. We recognize reforms are necessary, but defunding the police is not the solution, and it’s a nonstarter.”
These endorsements follow on the heels of new audio released from Gaines’ opponent, Mokah Jasmine Johnson, where Johnson expressed her support for taking law enforcement out of the schools to test the model before doing the same in the community. Johnson said, “If they were able to take officers out of the schools, then you can kind of see how the model will work when it comes out into the community. So I’m definitely for defunding and shifting the income somewhere else. But I want to start in the schools first.”
“We must keep Houston Gaines in the House. He supports law enforcement, and law enforcement supports him,” Sheriff Scott Berry said. “His opponent’s idea of testing defunding the police in the schools to try the model out on our children is frightening. I trust Houston Gaines and ask you to join me in supporting him.”
Gaines will be on the ballot this coming November. Early voting begins Oct. 12.