These two Muscogee County offices feature election races with interesting histories

One Muscogee County incumbent faces competition for the first time while another office incumbent faces a known challenger in the upcoming 2024 election.

Sheriff Greg Countryman (D) will once again face off against Republican candidate Mark Lajoye, who Countryman defeated in 2020 with 65% of the vote.

Countryman previously worked for the Columbus Housing Authority police and the Muscogee County Sheriff’s office before becoming marshal in 2005 prior to being elected Muscogee County’s first African-American sheriff.

Lajoye spent 40 years in the infantry, airborne and special operations forces after joining the Army at age 18. He also worked for the Columbus Police Department for 13 years.

In the 2020 election Countryman received 50,812 votes to Lajoye’s 27,765, according to Ledger-Enquirer reporting. This will now be Lajoye’s fifth time running for sheriff. Lajoye lost to Donna Tompkins in 2016, to John Darr in 2012 and again to Darr in 2008 as a write-in candidate.

Coroner’s Race

Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan will now face competition for the first time since 2012 where his opponent was disqualified but still on the ballot. Bryan ran unopposed in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, according to Ledger-Enquirer reporting.

Bryan, 74, grew up in Columbus and said he’s spent his entire life here. He said he started working in a funeral home at the age of 14. He has been coroner for Muscogee County since he was elected following the 2012 election.

Royal Anderson, 44, will be running against Bryan for the coroner position. Anderson said she is a St. Louis native who started coming to Columbus around 25 years ago when her father was stationed at then Fort Benning (now called Fort Moore). Anderson said she moved to Columbus approximately 13 years ago.

Anderson said she’s previously worked in the medical field as a registered nurse and travel nurse along with work in politics.

Both Bryan and Anderson are Democrats.