Who Is Running for Prosecutor and Sheriff in North Carolina in 2026?
Below are the candidates who filed to run for district attorney and sheriff by the state’s filing deadline for major party candidates. (This list was published as of January 2026; unaffiliated candidates may still enter at a later point.) The information was obtained from the state board of elections.
Note that four judicial districts—the 12th, 19th, 29th, 32nd, and 37th, which contain Harnett, Lee, Hoke, Moore, Alexander, Iredell, and Randolph counties—do not have DA elections this year; these districts hold their DA races in the presidential cycle (e.g. 2028).
District attorneys
| Districts (and the counties they contain) | Candidates |
|---|---|
| District 1 Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank, Perquimans counties | Jeff Cruden (R, inc.) |
| District 2 Beaufort, Hyde, Martin, Tyrrell, Washington counties | Tom Anglim (R, inc.) |
| District 3 Pitt County | Faris Dixon (D, inc.) |
| District 4 Carteret, Craven, Pamlico counties | Matt Wareham (R, inc.) |
| District 5 Duplin, Jones, Onslow, Sampson counties | Ernie Lee (R, inc.) |
| District 6 New Hanover and Pender counties | Jason W. Smith (R, inc.) |
| District 7 Bertie, Halifax, Hertford, Northampton counties | Kim Gourrier Scott (D, inc.) |
| District 8 Edgecombe, Nash, Wilson counties | Rena Spellman (D) Jeffrey A. Marsigli (R, inc.) |
| District 9 Greene, Lenoir, Wayne counties | Jeff Cannon (R) Mike Muskus (R, inc.) |
| District 10 Wake County | Sherita Walton (D) Melanie Shekita (D) Wiley Nickel (D) |
| District 11 Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance, Warren counties | Mike Waters (R, inc.) |
| District 13 Johnston County | Jason Waller (R, inc.) |
| District 14 Cumberland County | Billy West (D, inc.) |
| District 15 Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus counties | Jenna Earley (R) J.K. Somers (R) |
| District 16 Durham County | Satana Deberry (D, inc.) Jonathan Wilson (D) |
| District 17 Alamance County | Scott Wells Drorbaugh (D) Sean Boone (R, inc.) |
| District 18 Chatham, Orange counties | Jeff Nieman (D, inc.) |
| District 19 Catawba County | Adam Everett (R) D. Scott Reilly (R, inc.) |
| District 20 Robeson County | Matt Scott (D, inc.) |
| District 21 Anson, Richmond, Scotland counties | Jamie Adams (D, inc.) Herman Little (D) Todd G. Scott (R) |
| District 22 Caswell, Rockingham counties | Katy L. Gregg (R, inc.) |
| District 23 Stokes, Surry counties | Quentin E. Harris (R) |
| District 24 Guilford County | Avery Michelle Crump (D, inc.) |
| District 25 Cabarrus County | Ashlie Shanley (R, inc.) |
| District 26 Mecklenburg County | Spencer Merriweather (D, inc.) |
| District 27 Rowan County | Brandy Cook (R, inc.) |
| District 28 Montgomery, Stanly counties | T. Lynn Clodfelter (R, inc.) |
| District 30 Union County | Trey Robison (R, inc.) |
| District 31 Forsyth County | Jim O’Neill (R, inc.) Amara M. Hunter (D) |
| District 33 Davidson, Davie County | Robert S. (Rob) Taylor III (R) |
| District 34 Alleghany, Ashe, Wilkes, Yadkin counties | Lee Boone Bollinger (R) |
| District 35 Avery, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga, Yancey counties | Seth Banks (R, inc.) |
| District 36 Burke, Caldwell counties | Mitch Walker (R) |
| District 38 Gaston County | Travis Page (R, inc.) |
| District 39 Cleveland, Lincoln counties | Mike Miller (R, inc.) |
| District 40 Buncombe County | Courtney Virginia Booth (D) Martin Moore (D) Katie Kurdys (D) |
| District 41 McDowell, Rutherford counties | Ted Bell (R) David Norris (R) |
| District 42 Henderson, Polk, Transylvania County | Andrew Murray (R, inc.) |
| District 43 Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain counties | Ashley Hornsby Welch (R, inc.) |
Sheriffs
| Counties | Candidates |
|---|---|
| Alamance | Billy Clayton (R) Dana Byrd Pasour (R) Terry S. Johnson (R, inc.) |
| Alexander | Chad Pennell (R, inc.) |
| Alleghany | Shane Glenn (R) |
| Anson | Gerald Cannon, Sr. (D) Tim Watkins (D) Davara Ponds (D) Scott Howell (I, inc.) |
| Ashe | Earl Cox (R) Brandon Shepherd (R) B. Phil Howell (R, inc.) |
| Avery | Mike Henley (R, inc.) |
| Beaufort | Kelly J. Cox (R) Scott Hammonds (R, inc.) Corey Dixon (D) |
| Bertie | Allen White (D) Tyrone M. Ruffin (D, inc.) |
| Bladen | Gary Edwards (D) Chris Hunt (D) Carl Yonge (R) Jim McVicker (R, inc.) |
| Brunswick | Tim Daniels (R) Brian M. Chism (R, inc.) |
| Buncombe | Quentin Miller (D, inc.) Gary Parris (R) Vic Morman (R) |
| Burke | Banks Hinceman (R, inc.) |
| Cabarrus | Van Shaw (R, inc.) |
| Caldwell | Kevin H. Bean (R, inc.) |
| Camden | J. Kevin Jones (R, inc.) |
| Carteret | John Nyberg (R) Shane Guthrie (R) |
| Caswell | Tony Durden (D, inc.) Eric Crisp (R) |
| Catawba | Don Brown (R, inc.) Willie Armstrong (R) J.D. Slape (R) William Propst (R) |
| Chatham | Steve Maynor (D) Marcus A. Globuschutz (R) |
| Cherokee | Chris Wood (R) Dustin D. Smith (R, inc..) Sam May (R) |
| Chowan | Kristy L. LaLonde (D) Edward B. Basnight (R, inc.) |
| Clay | Mark Buchanan (R, inc.) Joe Shook (R) |
| Cleveland | Alan Norman (R, inc.) |
| Columbus | Ken Elliott (R) Bill Rogers (R, inc.) Kevin S. Norris (R) Joshua McPherson (R) |
| Craven | Mickey Tillman (D) Calvin Williams (R) Chip Hughes (R, inc.) |
| Cumberland | Joe Bailer (D) Demetrio Perez (D) Johnathan T. Morgan (D, inc.) Troy A. McDuffie (D) LaRue Windham (R) |
| Currituck | Jeffrey Walker (R) |
| Dare | Jeff Deringer (R) Teddy Daniels (R) Rodney Rawls (R) Jimmy Pierce (R) |
| Davidson | Elizabeth Clodfelter (R) Richie Simmons (R, inc.) |
| Davie | J.D. Hartman (R, inc.) |
| Duplin | Stratton Stokes (R, inc.) Eric Southerland (R) Tony James (R) |
| Durham | Clarence F. Birkhead (D, inc.) Johnny D. Hawkins (D) |
| Edgecombe | Cleveland Atkinson, Jr. (D, inc.) |
| Forsyth | Bobby F. Kimbrough (D, inc.) Ernie Leyba (R) |
| Franklin | Tim Gupton (D) Kevin White (R, inc.) |
| Gaston | Robbie Waldrop (R) Chad E. Hawkins (R, inc.) |
| Gates | Ray Campbell (R, inc.) |
| Graham | Leon Allen (R) Joseph Jones (R) Terry Grey (R) Cody George (R) Reba Louanne Mitch Millsaps (R) Jenkins McMahan (D) Caleb Stiles (R) |
| Granville | Charles R. Noblin, Jr. (R) Ed Newman (R) John (Johnny) Morris (R) Robert D. Fountain, Jr. (D, inc.) |
| Greene | Matt Sasser (D, inc.) |
| Guilford | Phil Byrd (R) William (Billy) Queen (R) Danny Rogers (D, inc.) |
| Halifax | Tyree Davis (D, inc.) |
| Harnett | Reggie Watson (D) Aaron Meredith (R) |
| Haywood | Bill Wilke (R, inc.) Mark E. Mease (R) Tyler J. Howell (D) |
| Henderson | Lowell Griffin (R, inc.) |
| Hertford | Dexter A. Hayes (D, inc.) |
| Hoke | Roderick Virgil (D, inc.) |
| Hyde | Guire Cahoon, Jr. (D, inc.) |
| Iredell | Darren E. Campbell (R, inc.) |
| Jackson | Doug Farmer (R, inc.) Brandon Elders (R) |
| Johnston | Steve Bizzell (R, inc.) Randy Ackley (R) |
| Jones | Matthew J. Wineman (R, inc.) Nathan Metts (R) |
| Lee | Brian Estes (R, inc.) |
| Lenoir | Jackie Rogers (R, inc.) |
| Lincoln | Anthony Huss (Libertarian) Bill Beam (R, inc.) |
| Macon | Bob Cook (R) Brent Holbrooks (R, inc.) |
| Madison | Robin Lyles (R) Buddy Harwood (D, inc.) |
| Martin | Marvin Hilliard (D) |
| Mcdowell | J. S. Calvert (R) Bryon Crisp (R) Brent Allen Rumfelt (R) Nathan Mace (R) |
| Mecklenburg | Rodney M. Collins (D) Garry L. McFadden (D, inc.) Antwain Nance (D) Ricky Ricardo Robbins (D) |
| Mitchell | Shane Vance (R) Cecil Curtis Hobson, Jr. (R) |
| Montgomery | Peter (Pete) Herron (R, inc.) |
| Moore | Ronnie Fields (R, inc.) |
| Nash | David Brake (D) Keith Stone (R, inc.) |
| New Hanover | Ed McMahon (R, inc.) |
| Northampton | Jack E. Smith (D, inc.) |
| Onslow | Chris Thomas (R, inc.) |
| Orange | Charles Blackwood (D, inc.) David LaBarre (D) |
| Pamlico | Chris Davis (R, inc.) |
| Pasquotank | Juanita (Nina) Daniels (R) Tommy Wooten (R, inc.) |
| Pender | Alan W. Cutler (R, inc.) |
| Perquimans | Shelton Ray White (R, inc.) |
| Person | Dennis Morris Allen (D) Todd (T.O.) Dunn (R) Jason (Skeet) Wilborn (R, inc.) |
| Pitt | Paula S. Dance (D, inc.) Richie Williams (D) |
| Polk | Tim Wright (R, inc.) Clayton Price (R) Keith Henderson (R) |
| Randolph | Brian Arrington (R) Chris (Taco) Toriello (R) Greg Seabolt (R, inc. Eric Hicks (R) |
| Richmond | Tahid (Ty) Rucker (D) Mark B. Gulledge (R, inc.) |
| Robeson | Burnis Wilkins (D, inc.) Dakota Dimery (R) |
| Rockingham | John Ferrell, Jr. (D) Brian Harbour (R) Franklin Moore (D) Billy Parker (R) Darren Wright (R) |
| Rowan | Travis Allen (R, inc.) Jody Burleyson (R) Carl Dangerfield (R) Tim Harrington (R) |
| Rutherford | Aaron Ellenburg (R, inc.) Jamie Dunn (R) Jason Ray Wease (R) |
| Sampson | Donald Earl Edwards (D) Jimmy Thornton (R, inc.) Tracy Jackson (R) |
| Scotland | Roger Alford (D) Jason L. Butler (R) Chris Strickland (R) David Monte (R) Ronnie Ivey (R) |
| Stanly | Jeff Crisco (R, inc.) |
| Stokes | Steven Bingman (R) Joey Lemons (R, inc.) |
| Surry | Brandon Johnson (R) Steve C. Hiatt (R, inc.) |
| Swain | Douglas (Tank) Anthony (D) Wayne Dover (R) Brian E. Kirkland (R, inc.) David Southards (D) |
| Transylvania | Chuck Owenby (R, inc.) |
| Tyrrell | Joey Elliott (R) R. Kevin Sawyer (D, inc.) |
| Union | Terry Boag (R) Eddie Cathey (R, inc.) Todd Elmore (R) |
| Vance | Curtis Brame (D, inc.) Sean Alston, Sr. (D) Sterlin M. Walker, Jr. (D) |
| Wake | Willie Rowe (D, inc.) Kenny Blackwell (R) |
| Warren | John A. Branche (D, inc.) |
| Washington | William Downing (D) Arlo Norman (D, inc.) Mike Patterson (R) |
| Watauga | Len D. Hagaman, Jr. (D, inc.) Darin Church (R) |
| Wayne | Larry Pierce (R, inc.) Stephen (Stevie) Howell (R) Ricky Hooks (R) Reginald (Reggie) Edwards (D) |
| Wilkes | Jamie Dowell (R) David Carson (R) Sharon Call-Diaz (R) Eric L. Byrd (R) Chris Shew (R, inc.) David Gambill (R) |
| Wilson | Davonta Ferguson (D) Christopher C. (Chris) Boykin (D) Brandon L. Barbrey (R) Kevin Travis Raper (R) Bobby Knight (R) |
| Yadkin | Nick Smitherman (R, inc.) Robert Reavis (R) |
| Yancey | Shane Hilliard (R, inc.) |