The first posted results in Fulton County’s primary election showed incumbent Sheriff Patrick Labat starting with a commanding lead over his three Democratic opponents: Kirt Beasley, James “J.T.” Brown and Joyce Farmer. Out of the first 29,460 votes counted, Labat had 17,042 — more than the other three put together. His closest rival was Farmer with 6,082.

Those results came less than 30 minutes after polls closed.

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Evidence markers outside the Fulton County courthouse on Friday morning, March 11, 2005 in downtown Atlanta. Brian Nichols killed Judge Rowland Barnes, a deputy and a court reporter, and wounded others. (BEN GRAY/AJC staff)

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Workers, clean up damaged house near Paulding County High School after a storm passed through, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Dallas. National Weather Service teams will be conducting a damage survey in the Paulding County/Dallas area, which sustained “pretty significant” damage from the storms, NWS Senior Meteorologist Dylan Lusk told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sunday morning. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC