The citizens have spoken – Joel Cochran has been re-elected as Sheriff of Washington County.
Sheriff Cochran defeated Henry Tanner by receiving 82 percent of the 3,088 votes.
Cochran garnered 2,537 votes. Tanner amassed 551 votes.
All eight voting precincts – Sandersville, Tennille, Davisboro, Deepstep, Riddleville, Harrison, Oconee, and Warthen – favored Cochran. He also won the early vote by mail and in-person.
24 percent of the near 13,000 registered voters in Washington County took part in the General Primary Election. Election Day voting accounted for 55 percent of the vote. 1,379 ballots were cast through early voting.
Joel Cochran has now won three elections for Washington County Sheriff.
He was first elected via a Special Election in November of 2019 following the death of longtime Sheriff Thomas Smith with 52.6 percent of the over 5,800 votes.
Cochran was re-elected the following year in June of 2020 during the General Primary Election with 59.5 percent of the over 5,700 votes.
Sheriff Joel Cochran was a 1994 graduate of Washington County High School. He attended Georgia Military College and received a degree in Criminal Justice before graduating from the Police Academy with a Peace Officer certification.
Cochran holds nearly 30 years of continuous law enforcement experience, previously serving as Police Chief for the City of Tennille for 18 years. Before being elected as Sheriff, he worked at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for 17 years.
Joel Cochran has served on the Homeland Security All Hazards Council, was a Georgia Chiefs of Police District Representative, and acted as an Advisory Board Member for the Sandersville Regional Youth Detention Center. He has also performed as Coordinator of Traffic Education and Enforcement for a 13-county region through the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.