Rabun County Sheriff Primary Election Results

RABUN COUNTY, Georgia – Candidate Mark Anthony Gerrells has been named the presumptive winner of the Republican runoff election for Rabun County Sheriff.

With no Democratic challenger, Gerrells is expected to be the front-runner for the office in November.

Rabun County Sheriff Chad Nichols, who lost re-election, was recently suspended by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp after the governor issued an executive order to that effect on Friday.

Nichols had previously turned himself in on May 31 for sexual assault and causing a public nuisance.

Kemp convened a committee to investigate his arrest, which included Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, Morgan County Sheriff Robert Markley and Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum. The committee had 30 days to produce a report explaining why it was recommending Nichols’ suspension.

Last Friday, the appointed committee made its recommendation to Kemp that Nichols be suspended. Kemp suspended Nichols for 60 days, effective immediately.

In a post on Facebook, Gerrells thanked his supporters and shared his excitement for what lies ahead.

“I just want to thank you for your love and support,” he explained.

11Alive wants to help you vote confidently by understanding the issues that affect you in the 2024 election. Our goal is to educate and inform our audience about the voting process. We want to do that by fact-checking, providing context, and explaining the system. For more election resources, see: /Poll.