HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — For the first time in over 50 years, Houston County voters will elect a new sheriff.
The winner will replace our nation's longest-serving sheriff, Cullen Talton, who was elected in 1972 after serving as a county commissioner.
He didn't come from a law enforcement background, Jimmy Dunn said.
As one of the four Republican candidates running for sheriff in 2024, Dunn compares his lack of law enforcement experience to Talton's before he became sheriff.
"I call myself 'the outcast' of this election," Dunn said.
He was born and raised in Houston County, which also sets him apart from his Republican opponents.
Dunn said he attended Bonaire Elementary, Warner Robins Junior High and Houston County High School.
"I played football, basketball, baseball, and I ran track," Dunn said.
His life revolved around sports growing up.
After graduating in 1995, Dunn said he played baseball in college.
"I went in to do forestry at ABAC, then when I transferred to Darton College, I pretty much changed over what I was gonna do with a business degree," Dunn said.
In 1997, Dunn said he had to return home before he could graduate.
"I got a phone call that my mom had cancer, so I decided to come home," Dunn said.
That's when his life began at Robins Air Force Base, where his dad also worked, Dunn said.
"First thing my dad told me when I came home was, 'Hey, you goin' get a job or you goin' back to school," Dunn said. "I followed my dad's footsteps."
He said he went to Middle Georgia Technical College before it was Central Georgia Technical College.
"I was a president's honor graduate in the electronics program, and I started out at Robins Air Force Base in 1999."
Dunn said he worked as a senior electronics technician in the F-15 radar division.
During the 23 years he was there, he was an alternate supervisor for 10 years.
He was also a coach for schools around Houston County.
Since the early 2000s, Dunn said he's held leadership roles with the local Little League association.
He said he coached for Huntington Middle School's football and baseball team for about 4 to 5 years, then at Mossy Creek Middle for nine years.
"I was what they called a community coach," Dunn said. "I never got paid a dollar while I was at Warner Robins American. I never got paid a dollar while I was at two different middle schools."
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dunn said he had to work from home; shortly after, he said he took an early retirement in 2022.
Recently, Dunn said, he started working again. Now, he's a program manager at a federal contracting company.
Dunn said he wanted to run for sheriff after people in the community reached out to encourage him to run.
He added that he's fulfilling his grandmother's wish for him to "be a politician."
As the only candidate with no law-enforcement background, that's an advantage, Dunn said.
"I am a vote for citizens," Dunn said.
He said he thinks it's important for an everyday person from the community to serve as the sheriff because of the "lack of trust factor in law enforcement these days."
"I'm an average Joe too," Dunn said. "Even as Houston County Sheriff, I'll be an average Joe, too. I'll come into your neighborhood, not with lights blazing, I'll come in there to break bread with you. Let's sit down as a community. Because, at the end of the day, this community is yours. All we're here to do is maintain peace and serve in that capacity."
Dunn added that there is no rule or requirement stating the sheriff must have law enforcement experience, and he compared the role to that of the commander in chief which he said does not have to have military experience.
However, Dunn said he knows he'll need to complete the necessary training before he can go out in the field as sheriff if he's elected.
That's why, he said, he's preparing for the role now and trying to complete all his training before election day.
"I don't wanna use the taxpayer's dollars and use their dime while I'm doing my certifications and trainings," Dunn said. "My vision is, I want to hit the ground running when I'm elected as Houston County sheriff."
Dun said if he's elected, his main priorities as sheriff are maintaining the staff in his department and setting up a 'scared straight' program for the community's youth.
Four Republicans and one Democrat are running for Sheriff Talton's seat.
Democrat Arthur Harris will face the Republican candidate, who will be decided after the May primaries.
The Republican contenders are Jimmy Dunn, Kendall, Moulton and Slate Simons. The winner of the May 21 party primary faces Harris.