The general elections on Tuesday, November 3, determined who will occupy the sheriff's posts in all 100 counties of North Carolina over the next four years.
According to the preliminary election results report issued by the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) and a document released by the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association (NCSA), which was updated on Wednesday, November 4, 66 elected sheriffs are Republicans, 29 are Democrats, and five are unaffiliated with any party.
23 counties will have new sheriffs
El analysis of the results The poll shows that 77 sheriffs will remain in their posts, while 23 counties will have new sheriffs. The changes include sheriffs who lost in the March primary and general elections, as well as replacements for officials who did not seek reelection.
Although Republicans will hold nearly two-thirds of the sheriff positions, Democrats will retain their seats with wide margins in the most populous counties, such as Wake, Mecklenburg, Guilford, Forsyth, Durham, and Buncombe.
One of the notable results of these elections occurred in Alamance County, where Republican Terry S. Johnson lost to unaffiliated candidate Shannon Long.
Johnson, who remained in office for more than 20 years, earned the title of North Carolina's "most feared" sheriff for using racial profiling to detain immigrants who later ended up in deportation proceedings under the 287(g) program. Johnson was the subject of a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation in 2010 for civil rights violations.
New sheriffs elected in North Carolina — 2026
A total of 23 counties in North Carolina saw sheriff changes in 2026. Nine changes were due to identified election losses and 14 to other changes in leadership.
| County | New sheriff | Former Sheriff |
|---|---|---|
| Alamance | Shannon Long (U) | Terry Johnson |
| Alleghany | Shane Glenn (R) | Bryan Maines |
| Bladen | Ray Marlowe (U) | Jim McVicker |
| Carteret | John Nyberg (R) | Asa Buck |
| Chatham | Steve Maynor (D) | Mike Roberson |
| Cherokee | Chris Wood (R) | Dustin Smith |
| Cumberland | Troy A. McDuffie (D) | Jonathan Morgan |
| Currituck | Jeffrey Walker (R) | Matthew Beikert |
| Dare | Rodney Rawls (R) | Doug Doughtie |
| Duplin | Eric Southerland (R) | Stratton Stokes |
| Graham | Caleb Stiles (R) | Russell Moody |
| Harnett | Aaron Meredith (R) | Wayne Coats |
| Haywood | Mark E. Mease (R) | Bill Wilke |
| McDowell | Nathan Mace (R) | Ricky Buchanan |
| Mitchell | Shane Vance (R) | Donald Street |
| Person | Dennis Morris Allen (D) | Jason Wilborn |
| Rockingham | Billy Parker (R) | Sam Page |
| Rowan | Jody Burleyson (R) | Travis Allen |
| Scotland | Roger Alford (D) | Ralph Kersey |
| Surry | Brandon Johnson (R) | Steve Hiatt |
| Tyrell | Major Shively (U) | Kevin Sawyer |
| Washington | Arlo Norman (D) | Johnny Barnes |
| Wilson | Brandon L. Barbrey (D) | Calvin Woodard |
R = Republican | D = Democrat | U = Unaffiliated
Source: 2026 Election – Office of Sheriff. Updated November 4, 2026, 10:05 am
Durham, Mecklenburg, Orange and Johnston: starters who ran unopposed on November 3
In four counties, the sheriffs who managed retain their party nominations in March They went into the general elections without any opponents.
In Durham, Democrat Clarence F. Birkhead retained his position unopposed in November, as did Sheriff Garry McFadden, also a Democrat who ran unopposed in the general election.
In Orange County, Democrat Charles Blackwood secured another term after retaining his nomination in March. Meanwhile, in Johnston County, Republican Steve Bizzell retained his position unopposed in the general election.
Wake: Willie Rowe gets over 364,000 votes
In Wake County, the Democratic sheriff Willie Rowe won re-election by defeating Republican Kenny Blackwell. Rowe obtained 364,020 votes, equivalent to 70.51%, while Blackwell received 152,276 votes (29.49%).
Buncombe: Quentin Miller retains his position
In Buncombe County, the Democratic sheriff Quentin Miller won re-election Miller defeated Republican Gary Parris. He received 90,324 votes (69.85%), while Parris received 38,995 votes (30.15%). Parris had secured the Republican nomination in March.
Forsyth: Bobby Kimbrough retains his position with almost 78% of the vote
In Forsyth County, Democratic Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough won reelection against Republican Ernie Leyba. Kimbrough received 116,383 votes (77.86%), while Leyba received 33,087 votes (22.14%).
Guilford: Danny Rogers easily defeats Republican Phil Byrd
In Guilford County, Democratic Sheriff Danny Rogers will retain his position after defeating Republican Phil Byrd. Rogers received 143,283 votes, or 66.65%, compared to Byrd's 71,711 votes (33.35%). Byrd had secured his party's nomination in March.
Rockingham: Billy Parker will be the new sheriff
In Rockingham County, Republican Billy Parker was elected as the new sheriff in a three-way contest.
Parker received 17,470 votes (51.13%), while Democrat Franklin Moore garnered 10,840 votes (31.73%). Unaffiliated candidate Ryan Boone Young finished in third place with 5,856 votes (17.14%).
Parker will replace Sam Page, who did not seek reelection as sheriff, and won a seat in the state Senate.
Rowan: Jody Burleyson will replace Travis Allen
In Rowan County, Republican Jody Burleyson will be the new sheriff after defeating incumbent Travis Allen in the primary election. Burleyson ran unopposed in the general election, confirming his victory.
Why Sheriff Elections Matter
Sheriffs have important responsibilities in public safety and in the functioning of the North Carolina justice system.
Their duties include managing county jails, executing court orders, conducting investigations, and setting law enforcement priorities.
They can also play a relevant role in the enforcement of federal immigration laws, particularly through collaborative agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), such as the 287(g) program, as well as with the HN Act 318 approved by the State Legislature.
For this reason, the results of sheriff elections have implications for local communities, including the immigrant population.
The elected officials will be responsible for running their respective offices for the next four years.
>> Document released by NCSA
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