Key sheriff’s races happening in Houston, Peach, Crawford. What to know about candidates

Among the key races on the Nov. 5 ballots for Middle Georgia are sheriff’s elections in Houston, Peach and Crawford counties.

In two of those races, a new sheriff will be elected, while in the third, a longtime incumbent faces a challenger.

In Houston County, the winner will replace retiring Sheriff Cullen Talton, who was first elected in 1972 and is the longest serving sheriff in Georgia.

Houston County sheriff’s Capt. Matt Moulton, who heads the sheriff’s criminal investigations division, and Arthur Lee Harris, a former Houston County sheriff’s deputy and Warner Robins police officer, are vying for the post.

Moulton bested three opponents in the Republican primary, while Harris faced no opposition on the Democratic ticket.

In Peach County, the winner will replace longtime Sheriff Terry Deese, who’s served the last 20 years as sheriff in a more than 40-year career at the Peach County Sheriff’s Office.

Peach County sheriff’s Sgt. Robert “Buck” Shannon, who’s running on the Democratic ticket, squares off with Roberta Police Chief Ty Ben Matthews, a Republican. Neither faced opposition in the primary.

In Crawford County, longtime Sheriff Lewis Walker faces a challenge from Twiggs County deputy Gene Parker.

Lewis is running as an independent this year. Parker faced no opposition in the Republican primary.

Early voting will take place weekdays Oct. 15 through Nov. 1, with two Saturday voting options on Oct. 19 and Oct. 26.

Here’s a look at each of the candidates by county:

Houston County

Matt Moulton

With 56.64% of the vote, Moulton emerged as the Republican nominee for Houston County sheriff in a four-way contest in the May 21 primary. He garnered 6,820 votes of the 12,042 total votes cast in the race.

Moulton, 50, who was promoted to captain over the Houston County Sheriff’s Office criminal investigations division in late May, was endorsed by Talton in January.

“I think experience matters, and I’ve been an active member in law enforcement for the last 28 years,” Moulton said. “Education matters as well.

“I’ve got the training and education that is relevant to the job as sheriff in Houston County, and I’m up to date on current affairs, current case law, and I think my leadership skills and abilities that I would bring to the office would serve the citizens of Houston County well.”

His law enforcement career spans nearly three decades, starting in 1995 when he worked for campus police while pursuing a criminal justice degree at the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri.

After graduation, Moulton, a native of Macon, stayed in Missouri and worked for the Branson Police Department.

When his dad died in February of 1999, he made the decision to move back home to Georgia — applying to Macon and Warner Robins police departments and the sheriff’s offices in Bibb and Houston counties. Macon police and the Bibb sheriff’s office merged in January 2014.

Moulton moved to Houston County in February of 2000 and started working for Warner Robins police where he served for 13 years in various positions, including patrol officer, narcotics investigator, patrol sergeant, supervisor and school resource officer.

Moulton also went back to college and earned a master’s degree in public administration from Georgia College & State University. He also had the opportunity to work at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth, serving as a coordinator and instructor in the basic mandate law enforcement training course required for certification in Georgia.

In 2014, Moulton joined the Houston County Sheriff’s Office as a patrol officer. He next served in the traffic division, then in narcotics as a sergeant and next moved into investigations where he was promoted to a lieutenant and then captain.

A key issue for Moulton is staffing.

“There’s a nationwide shortage in people wanting to go into law enforcement as a career,” Moulton said. “We’re about six deputies short on patrol and traffic and the last number I heard was we’re about 30 deputies short in the detention center.

“So, getting folks hired, doing some strong recruiting to bring people into the sheriff’s office is going to be a key priority for me,” he said.

Another key issue is violent crime among young people. Moulton said he’s already met and spoken with several church leaders.

“Based on what I talked to with church leaders, we need to address the issue with parenting, and I’ve talked to a couple of pastors who are interested in starting a program that teaches parental leadership and hoping that it starts at home with the families and that we can get the kids off the streets that way,” Moulton said.

If elected, Moulton plans to lead the sheriff’s office to seek accreditation with the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association via the agency’s newly developed accreditation process. He also plans to streamline and update the standard operating procedures for the sheriff’s office.

Additionally, Moulton plans to continue Talton’s open door policy, allowing the public to come speak with him.

Arthur Lee Harris

Harris, 77, stepped out of retirement to run for sheriff after a February incident among teenagers outside a Warner Robins auto dealership near the Houston Galleria mall in Centerville in which a 14-year-old was fatally shot.

A longtime coach and former law enforcement officer, Harris wants to form various coalitions. This would include joint meetings with local police chiefs and forming a countywide drug squad.

He ran unopposed on the Democratic ticket in the primary, receiving 5,507 votes.

“You should elect me as sheriff because I want to serve my community,” Harris said. “I want to make our community as safe as possible, and how you make your community as safe as possible is have respect between the citizen and the law enforcement.

“It is going to be a joint effort by all of us. One simple thing that Sheriff Talton once said: If you ride down the street in the (patrol) car and one of the citizens waves at you, you owe it to him or her to wave back at them. It’s about service — service to the community,” Harris said.

A Bonaire native, Harris graduated from what was then The Pearl Stephens School in 1966 and joined the U.S. Army in December of that year. He served for two years achieving the rank of sergeant E-5 as platoon leader.

After the military, Harris said he served in a dual role as a Warner Robins firefighter and police officer from around April 1969 to Jan. 1, 1973.

Harris left Warner Robins police In January 1973 to join the Houston County Sheriff’s Office and served in various positions from patrol to criminal investigations until July 1994, he said.

After serving in law enforcement, Harris said he sold cars and worked some for a private investigator. He retired in 2007 from auto sales.

For 35 years at the Warner Robins Recreation Department, Harris coached baseball, football and basketball.

If elected, Harris wants to establish a ride along with deputies program, increase deputy presence in neighborhoods, start a junior deputy program, a self-defense program for the community, and open the county’s firing range for law enforcement to civilians.

He also aims to address staffing issues at the detention center, ensure a fair promotion system for deputies and use “all my power” with county commissioners to make Houston County sheriff’s deputies among the top paid in Middle Georgia.

Additionally, he wants to increase Neighborhood Watch programs in unincorporated areas of the county.

Harris said he plans to be a sheriff who’s out in the community, leaving a bulk of administrative duties to the chief deputy. He will have an open door policy if elected.

Peach County

Robert “Buck” Shannon

Shannon, 49, has served the Peach County Sheriff’s Office for the past 27 years. He grew up in Byron and lives in Fort Valley.

His decision to join law enforcement was a childhood dream, influenced by his desire to help people.

With a rank of sergeant, he’s been an investigator in the criminal division for nearly nine years.

Shannon is backed by both Deese and his predecessor, Sheriff Johnnie Becham.

“When you make that 911 call and you need help, I’m not going to ask if you’re a Democrat or if you’re a Republican,” Shannon said. “My job is to make sure that I serve you in your time of need.

“So it doesn’t matter about race, politics, religion or anything like that. I have a job to do. It’s serve my community,” he said.

Shannon’s election platform includes addressing mental health, gang violence and fraud against the elderly.

If elected, Shannon wants to revive the drug unit and establish a gang unit in collaboration with the Byron and Fort Valley police departments.

Shannon also wants to lead the sheriff’s office in a new accreditation process through the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association. He also plans to have all Peach County deputies earn a senior deputy certification through the association.

Shannon emphasized his experience in the various functions of the sheriff’s office, including courthouse security, jail operations and mental health transports, as distinguishing himself from his opponent. He said overseeing a large sheriff’s department is different than heading a small police department.

Working with county commissioners, Shannon said he’d like to add more patrol positions.

Shannon aims to increase community engagement through social media and public forums.

He’s served as a Little League football, basketball and baseball coach and works with the youth at his church.

His decision to run for sheriff was influenced by community and family members, including encouragement from Deese.

He garnered 1,108 votes in the primary.

Ty Ben Matthews

Matthews, 58, the police chief of Roberta in neighboring Crawford County since 2016, has over 30 years of law enforcement experience. He’s lived in Peach County since 2007.

“Sheriff Deese is retiring and he’s done a good job but it’s time for some new leadership and new vision and a sheriff who will be accountable to the people” Matthews said.

“One thing I’m running on is you won’t have to talk to the chief deputy or the secretary to get a hold of me. My number will be posted where people can get a hold of me night or day,” he said.

Matthews’ law enforcement roles have included serving as a sergeant at the Cordele Police Department, where he worked for 15 years; as a lieutenant at both the Fort Valley Police Department where he served for five years; and at the Irwin County Sheriff’s Office where he worked for four years.

He also served for nearly 1-1/2 years as shift supervisor at the Central Georgia Technical College Police Department before becoming Roberta’s police chief.

Mathews also served in the U.S. Army for seven years. He’s a “staunch supporter of the Second Amendment,” the right to bear arms.

He currently serves as the second vice president for the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.

Matthews said he wants to form coalitions with Byron and Fort Valley police “and get stronger on crime.”

His campaign platform includes obtaining state certification for the sheriff’s office, maintaining adequate staffing levels and increasing patrol staff.

He pledged to be transparent and accountable to the citizens and to ensure fair policing practices.

Matthews said his knowledge and experience sets him apart from his opponent.

“After I’m sworn in, I can sit down at that desk and immediately start running that agency,” Matthews said. “It’s the same thing, chief and sheriff. It’s the same thing.”

Matthews received 871 votes in the primary.

Crawford County

Lewis Walker

Walker, 64, has made his 37-year law enforcement career serving at the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office. He’s been the sheriff since 2009.

A native of Crawford County, Lewis started with the agency in 1987 when the department had four deputies. He was captain of the patrol division when first elected sheriff.

He currently serves as president of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association.

Walker previously ran for the post as a Democrat. But this year, he’s on the November ballot as an independent, emphasizing what he says is the nonpartisan nature of the sheriff’s role. No one ran for sheriff on the Democratic ticket this year.

Walker is running on his record as sheriff. He emphasized his experience, integrity and commitment to the community.

“It’s an honor to serve in the community you grew up in,” Walker said.

He also touted technological upgrades at the sheriff’s office, including the Enhanced 911 system, body cameras and in-car cameras. He also addressed staffing challenges due to competitive salaries.

Walker stressed his commitment to community engagement.

He also expressed gratitude for the dedicated staff at the sheriff’s office and emphasized the importance of having a calling for the job.

Gene Parker

Parker, 50, is a patrol deputy at the Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office. He has a combined total of more than 30 years in public service, including more than 20 years in law enforcement.

“I want to make the department better overall,” he said.

Parker first served at the Crawford County volunteer fire department for 10 years and then as a paid firefighter for Fort Valley for nearly a year and a half before going into law enforcement.

He started as a corrections officer at Central State Prison for the Georgia Department of Corrections, where he worked for about two years.

His next law enforcement post was at the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, starting at the jail before moving into patrol and then the traffic division. He worked for the sheriff’s office for 13 years.

He’s also served as a sheriff’s deputy in Spalding County for about five years. He’s been with the Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office for about five years.

Parker said he’s running for sheriff due to what he says are increasing crime rates and decreasing property values. He was critical of the current administration.

His campaign platform includes better training for deputies, adding school resource officers and grant-funded initiatives, including possibly building a new jail.

Parker stressed the importance of community engagement and transparency.

He picked up 801 votes in the primary.

This story was originally published October 11, 2024 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Key sheriff’s races happening in Houston, Peach, Crawford. What to know about candidates."