Voters may not be entirely happy with some of the choices they could be asked to make in the 2024 General Election scheduled for Nov. 5, 2024, but there is one choice Morgan County voters won’t be able to make again next year.
Sheriff Robert Markley has made it official that he will not seek reelection to a seventh term as Morgan County sheriff.
Markley had suggested he might not run for reelection in 2024 during the 2020 election cycle, and he has now confirmed that decision.
Markley joined the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office as a member of the jail staff 35 years ago and was first elected sheriff in 2000, taking office Jan. 1, 2001.
Markley said he is making his announcement official to give candidates for sheriff the opportunity to get their message out to citizens.
Qualifying is yet months away, but five candidates may come out of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office with three or four more from other law-enforcement agencies.
Markley’s opponent in the last two elections is rumored to be considering taking another shot at the job.
Elected six times in total, Markley cruised to easy wins in 2016 and 2020.
Markley defeated Kenny Stewart – who was running as a Democrat – in the 2016 general election with nearly 70 percent of the vote.
Stewart switched parties and ran against Markley as a Republican in the 2020 Primary Election. Markley received nearly 80 percent of the vote in that election.