Patrick Labat

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Patrick Labat

Democratic Party

Fulton County Sheriff

Tenure

2021 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

4

Predecessor

Theodore Jackson

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Clark Atlanta University, 1993

Graduate

Columbus State University, 2009

Personal

Birthplace

Atlanta, Ga.

Religion

Christian

Patrick Labat (Democratic Party) (also known as Pat) is the Fulton County Sheriff in Georgia. He assumed office on January 1, 2021. His current term ends in 2029.

Labat (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Fulton County Sheriff in Georgia. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Patrick Labat was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He earned a B.A. from Clark Atlanta University in May 1993 and a master's degree in public administration from Columbus State University in April 2009. He retired as the chief of the City of Atlanta Department of Corrections. Labat has served with the Georgia Jail Association, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (N.O.B.L.E.), American Correctional Association (ACA), FBI-LEEDA, Atlanta Metrpol, Inc., International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police. He was part of the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2014.

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Fulton County, Georgia (2024)

General election

General election for Fulton County Sheriff

Incumbent Patrick Labat defeated Charles Rambo in the general election for Fulton County Sheriff on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Patrick Labat (D)	100.0	435,304
		Charles Rambo (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	0

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 435,304
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Fulton County Sheriff

Incumbent Patrick Labat defeated Joyce Farmer, Kirt Beasley, and James Brown in the Democratic primary for Fulton County Sheriff on May 21, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Patrick Labat	54.2	46,781
	Submit photo	Joyce Farmer	22.8	19,708
		Kirt Beasley	11.6	10,009
		James Brown	11.4	9,838

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 86,336
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Labat in this election.

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Fulton County, Georgia (2020)

General election

General election for Fulton County Sheriff

Patrick Labat won election in the general election for Fulton County Sheriff on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Patrick Labat (D)	100.0	427,266

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 427,266
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for Fulton County Sheriff

Patrick Labat defeated incumbent Theodore Jackson in the Democratic primary runoff for Fulton County Sheriff on August 11, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Patrick Labat	55.5	49,354
		Theodore Jackson	44.5	39,592

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 88,946
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Fulton County Sheriff

Incumbent Theodore Jackson and Patrick Labat advanced to a runoff. They defeated Myron Freeman, Walter Calloway, and Charles Rambo in the Democratic primary for Fulton County Sheriff on June 9, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Theodore Jackson	44.1	74,150
✔		Patrick Labat	23.2	38,935
		Myron Freeman	17.6	29,649
	Submit photo	Walter Calloway	9.1	15,338
		Charles Rambo	6.0	10,002

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 168,074
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

To view Labat's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Patrick Labat did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released May 26, 2020

Patrick Labat completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Labat's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Patrick Labat retired from the City of Atlanta Department of Corrections after a 30 year career, spending the last 10 as Chief. As Chief, he maintained a nationally accredited facility, pioneered youth diversion programs, Senior Citizen engagement services, a nationally acclaimed re-entry program and was named Jail Administrator of the year for the state of Georgia in 2015 & 2019.

The main pillars of his platform for Sheriff revolve around crime reduction & public safety, improved jail conditions (which will result in better, more efficient, use of tax dollars) and repeat offenders & reentry.

He is a Fulton County native, a father of four young adults and he his wife, Jacki, reside in S.W. Atlanta.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Crime Reduction & Public Safety

• Improved Jail Conditions

• Repeat offenders & Reentry

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The safety of the people who live, work and play in Fulton County is my highest priority. We are the largest and one of the fastest growing counties in the state and the only county with a population exceeding 1 million people. It is critical that we continue to find new ways to improve the safety for all 15 cities within our county, making it an even more attractive place for residents and business owners to call their home.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

The Fulton County Sheriff is the sheriff of the largest county in the state of Georgia, and therefore is considered the high sheriff. The FCSO should set the tone for law enforcement as a leader throughout the county and the state as a whole.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I most admire my mother. She raised me as a single black female in the 60's. She set a great example of a strong work ethic. I have followed in her footsteps of public service and retired after an exemplary 30 year career.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Everybody Matters. The art of caring for your people.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity, Commitment to Public Service, Compassion, Energetic, Accessible and Relatable.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Integrity, proven executive-level leadership, rapport with elected officials, agency heads, my employees and community stakeholders.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The sheriff is responsible for executing warrants, running the jail and protecting the courts. However, the sheriff's office can also assist with crime prevention assisting local agencies where their needs are. The FCSO is currently lacking in that respect.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to create the most dynamic sheriff's office in the county, state and the country. I want to grow leaders and boost morale. I am known for having transformed the Atlanta City Jail from a liability to an asset, and I would like to be known for doing the same for Fulton County.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

1986, the Challenger Spaceship explosion. 19 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I began my career as a Corrections Officer in 1988 working overnight while attending college during the day. I stayed with the Atlanta Department of Corrections for 30 years and retired after serving as Chief for 10 years in 2019.

What is your favorite book? Why?

21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader by John Maxwell. It is a constant reminder that leadership matters and that great leaders build other great leaders to follow and lead when they are done.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Batman

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Too hot to trot. The Commodores.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Parenting young black males during an age when they are overtly targeted by society as a norm has been extremely difficult. My wife and I are thankful for our village.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Most people don't know what the sheriff does. Constitutionally, the sheriff is responsible for executing warrants, running the jail and protecting the courts. However, the sheriff's office can also assist with crime prevention assisting local agencies where their needs are. The FCSO is currently lacking in that respect.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes, electing someone with previous executive level leadership and government experience is critical. I have developed personal and professional relationships with local leaders, agency heads and key community stakeholders that will go a long way to moving the FCSO forward.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Integrity, Transparency, Accountability, Hands-on Leadership.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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