But with election day just under a month away, Georgia law has specific guidelines for what happens when a sheriff dies while in office. Under Georgia Code § 15-16-8, when the sh

UPDATE (10/21/24): Arrangements have been announced for Sheriff Cullen Talton, who died Saturday at the age of 92. Sheriff Talton will lie in state on Tuesday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at McCullough Funeral Home.

Houston County Sheriff John Talton has died, according to Gov. Brian Kemp and the sheriff’s office. Kemp said that Talton, who was retiring and was set to be replaced by the winner of the November election this year, was the longest serving sheriff in the United States.

Talton, who was elected as Houston County's sheriff in 1972, spent over 50 years as the position and was the longest-tenured sheriff in the country. He was 92.