Longtime Gwinnett County Sheriff Won't Seek Re-Election

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA—Longtime Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway won't seek re-election. Conway, who made the announcement Tuesday, has served as the county sheriff's for 24 years.

"My decision to not seek re-election was not made easily, but I have reached a point in my life where I desire to pursue other opportunities which will afford me more time with my family, who recently suffered a great loss," Conway said in a statement.

Conway said he hired Chief Deputy Lou Solis two years ago with the intention of preparing him to succeed him. The sheriff believes Solis will continue moving the department forward.

"Chief Deputy Solis has worked exhaustively over the past two years to familiarize himself with our operations," Conway said. His work ethic is unparalleled and his contributions to our office are great. He has demonstrated outstanding leadership time and time again."

According to the sheriff, many other agencies have learned from his department and implemented similar programs like Operation Second Chance (Jail Dogs) the Gwinnett Re-entry Intervention Program (GRIP), the 287(g) program and the new veteran’s therapeutic program (The Barracks).

"We take great pride in seeing similar programs benefit other communities nationwide," Conway said.

Conway was first elected to the Gwinnet County Sheriff's Office in 1996. He has more than 45 years of experience in law enforcement.

"I thank the many faithful supporters who placed their trust in me election after election over the past two decades," he said. I will always be thankful for the opportunity you provided me to serve as your sheriff and hope the positive contributions we’ve made together will continue to benefit our community for many years to come."