CONYERS - Rockdale County resident Donald Ferguson has officially announced his intentions to run for the county sheriff office in 2016. 

Ferguson, a retired law enforcement official, wants to become sheriff of Rockdale in order to improve the safety and quality of the citizens in the community.

“I am passionate about making a significant difference in the quality of the life all citizen of Rockdale county, especially for our youth and senior citizens,” Ferguson in a press release. “Your liberty and pursuit of happiness matters to me, and all citizens should be able to live their lives free from the fear of violence, intimidation and victimization.”

He adds he will use his years of experience in the law enforcement field to better serve the citizens.“I will provide professional leadership, drawing on my 26 years of law enforcement, (six) years as a teacher with various Metro Atlanta Public Schools Systems and as an adjunct instructor in Criminal Justice at the West Georgia Technical College,” he said. “I bring integrity, leadership, and experience.”

This will be Ferguson’s third time running to be sheriff of the county. In 2008, his first campaign, he lost to incumbent sheriff Jeff Wigington in the general election. In 2012, he was beat out by current Rockdale Sheriff Eric Levett in the Democratic primary race. 

Ferguson is the only candidate to officially declare for the sheriff’s office. When The News asked Levett if he would be running for re-election next year he said, “Everything is possible.”