MORGAN COUNTY
After current Morgan County sheriff Robert Markley announced that he would not be seeking reelection, the position will be up for grabs in the 2024 election cycle.
One of the most recent candidates to put their name out there is Ryan Morgan, a 25-year law enforcement veteran who’s lived in the area for most of his life.
At the age of 16, Morgan volunteered to be a first responder and has been in the field ever since. He was a firefighter at 18, and then became a sworn police officer for the city of Madison shortly after.
After a 22-year stint with the City of Lawrenceville police, Morgan retired as a captain before making his return to Morgan County.
In an interview with the Lake Oconee News, Morgan stressed that his resume speaks for itself and that he is plenty qualified to take over the position.
“There are a lot of candidates in this race, but nobody has my qualifications and I feel like my resume is unmatched,” Morgan said. “I graduated from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and Mercer with my undergraduate degree and graduated from Columbus with a master's. I was one of eight chosen to go to the FBI National Academy in 2010 and spent ten weeks in Quantico at the academy, so I truly believe my experience is unmatched.”
Not only does Morgan believe his experience in the field is unmatched, but he also believes his knowledge of Morgan County can make a great impact as well.
Morgan recounted how he’s lived in the area most of his life and has raised his family here, as well.
“I grew up here, went to school here, and played football here. My wife is from here, and now, my kids go to school here, so ever since I moved here at about 10 years old, I’ve called this place my home,” Morgan said. “I left to get the experience I needed to be qualified to run for Sheriff, and to be able to manage the department because, at the end of the day, the sheriff is a manager – he’s got to manage the jail, the roads, the courthouse, and other things. Most importantly though, he has to serve the people and know what’s going on in the community.”
On his campaign website, Morgan emphasizes five things he wants to accomplish if he were elected – keeping children safe, stopping crime at county lines, putting Morgan County citizens first, leading with integrity and professionalism, and fighting back against anti-police radicals.
As he campaigns, Morgan wants to stress these points and help people understand it’s all about preparation. He acknowledged that since he’s been doing it for so long, he knows the crime trends and how to keep them away from the citizens of Morgan County.
“I understand the crime trends that are coming, and it’s really about knowing how to get ahead of it,” Morgan said. “I learned a lot from Gwinnett County law enforcement by getting to see the evolution of crime from Madison to Lawrenceville. The main thing is to just serve the people of the county – being a good steward of their tax dollars and providing a professional service to everyone. I want to be someone that others can trust when they truly need help.”
Qualifying for the 2024 elections will be held from March 4-8 of next year, and until then, Morgan wants to continue to inform the citizens that he believes he is the best man for the job.