Talbot County, GA elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Talbot County: 12 seats on 7 elected bodies. 4 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of Commissioners

Talbot County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commissioner, District 1Walter Wilson, Jr. Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 2Ken Chapman Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 3Anthony Couch Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 4Franklin Holmes Democratic source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Clerk of Superior CourtPenny D. Mahone Democratic source
CoronerBrent Terry Democratic source
Probate Judge and Chief MagistrateShatara Powell Independent source
SheriffBobby R. Gates, Jr. Independent source
Tax CommissionerJamie L. Huff Democratic source

School Board

Talbot County Board of Education

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Board of Education Member, District 1Julia Ann Leonard Independent source
Board of Education Member, District 3Sharleta "Lisa" Hall Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Board of Education Member, District 5Mildred Biggs Democratic source

How many local governments Talbot County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 6 local governments in Talbot County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships40
School districts (school boards)11
Special districts (elected boards)00

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Talbot County

5,742people
51median ageU.S.: 38.9
$41,597 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
25.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%
12.1%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$117,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.3%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0.1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
10.1%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
11.8%U.S.: 8.4%
56.2%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
37.3%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 0.6% · White 40.4% · Black 53.7% · Asian 0.1% · Other or more than one race 5.2% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Talbot County

4.2%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.6%. Georgia: 3.5%.
102people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
2,303people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
2,405in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Talbot County 0.0%2.0%4.1%6.1%8.2% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.2%1022,3032,405
August 20264.1%982,2922,390
July 20264.0%942,2692,363
June 20264.2%1002,2782,378
May 20264.4%1052,2862,391
April 20263.9%922,2782,370
March 20264.3%1022,2672,369
February 20264.6%1082,2602,368
January 20264.8%1142,2422,356
December 20254.1%962,2552,351
November 20254.7%1112,2492,360
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.6%1092,2502,359
August 20254.9%1142,2332,347
July 20254.4%1042,2462,350
June 20254.4%1052,2582,363
May 20254.5%1072,2492,356
April 20254.2%992,2592,358
March 20254.3%1022,2622,364
February 20254.7%1102,2532,363
January 20254.6%1092,2532,362
December 20243.9%922,2472,339
November 20244.0%922,2352,327
October 20244.2%982,2422,340
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.5%1062,2522,358
20244.0%952,2532,348
20233.8%902,2702,360
20224.4%1052,2752,380
20215.2%1252,2792,404
20207.8%1862,2092,395
20195.1%1262,3332,459
20185.5%1402,4252,565
20176.5%1702,4422,612
20167.1%1852,4142,599

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Georgia's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.3% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Talbot County

330.0 per 100,0002018. Georgia: 338.9.
1,006.4 per 100,0002018. Georgia: 2,642.9.
0murders2018, 20 violent crimes in all.

2018 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
201820330.0611,006.4
201716267.61011,689.0
20167114.1751,222.3
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Talbot County Sheriff's Office20249354,910
Talbotton Police Department2018714843

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Georgia · the U.S.

Quick answers

Who is the Talbot County Clerk of Superior Court?
Penny D. Mahone (Democratic) is the Clerk of Superior Court of Talbot County, Georgia.
Who is the Talbot County Coroner?
Brent Terry (Democratic) is the Coroner of Talbot County, Georgia.
Who is the Talbot County Probate Judge and Chief Magistrate?
Shatara Powell (Independent) is the Probate Judge and Chief Magistrate of Talbot County, Georgia.
Who is the Talbot County Sheriff?
Bobby R. Gates, Jr. (Independent) is the Sheriff of Talbot County, Georgia.
Who is the Talbot County Tax Commissioner?
Jamie L. Huff (Democratic) is the Tax Commissioner of Talbot County, Georgia.
Who are the Talbot County commissioners?
Walter Wilson, Jr. (District 1); Ken Chapman (District 2); Anthony Couch (District 3); Franklin Holmes (District 4).
Who is on the Talbot County School Board?
Julia Ann Leonard (Board of Education Member, District 1); Sharleta "Lisa" Hall (Board of Education Member, District 3); Mildred Biggs (Board of Education Member, District 5).
What is the population of Talbot County?
About 5,742 people, with a median age of 51; the median household income is $41,597 and 25.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Talbot County?
4.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 102 people unemployed in a labor force of 2,405, against 4.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Talbot County?
6 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal and 1 school district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Georgia Secretary of State's official results of each seat's last election (the November 2024 general, or a special election since), and for seats up in 2026 whose 2022 result the SOS site doesn't carry, the incumbent the SOS marks on that seat's 2026 primary, nonpartisan or November contest; officials appointed since then may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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