Ashley Paulk

VALDOSTA — Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk ran for office as a Democrat but he just joined 57 other Georgia sheriffs in backing Republican Casey Cagle as the state’s next governor.

The endorsement is a hefty gain for Cagle considering the group represents about a third of the sheriffs in the state.

Paulk said Cagle has always been an ally to law enforcement, which is what prompted the widespread support.

“He’s been a longtime friend of all the sheriffs,” Paulk said of Cagle. “He’s quite vocal on some things that are important to us. He’s been an asset to law enforcement in general, not just sheriffs.”

Cagle has been Georgia’s lieutenant governor since 2007 and previously served as a state senator for a decade. Paulk said Cagle has always strongly supported legislation — such as salary increases — that benefits law enforcement.

Georgia won’t choose its next governor until the end of 2018, but four Republicans, two Democrats, and one independent have already joined the race, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

One of the Republicans is Secretary of State Brian Kemp, a notable candidate who Paulk has no problem with — but he’s just not Cagle, Paulk said.

“Brian’s a good person; he’s done a good job as secretary of state, but I’ve had a relationship with Casey since the early ’90s,” Paulk said. “We have a long track record between us.”