At 91, Georgia’s longest serving sheriff says he won’t seek another term in 2024

PERRY, Ga. (AP) — A 91-year-old Georgia sheriff says he will hand in his badge after more than 50 years as the county’s chief lawman. Houston County Sheriff Cullen Talton has told WMAZ-TV that he won’t seek reelection in 2024 and will step down at the end of his term. Houston County commissioners called Talton the longest serving sheriff not only in Georgia, but in the United States, when they honored him Tuesday. Talton was first elected sheriff in 1972. He’s a former dairy farmer who earlier served as county commissioner in the middle Georgia county.