{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Chad Pennell","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nMichael Chad Pennell, who goes by Chad Pennell, is the incumbent Sheriff of Alexander County, North Carolina. He is running for re-election to that office in 2026. Pennell was first elected Sheriff of Alexander County in November 2022, defeating a longtime incumbent, and was sworn in on December 5, 2022.\n\n## Background and education\nPennell is a lifelong Alexander County resident. He holds a high school diploma from Alexander County High School and an Associate of Applied Science degree in Criminal Justice and Protective Services from Wilkes Community College. He is also a United States Army veteran.\n\n## Career\nPennell spent 30 years with the Alexander County Sheriff's Office before retiring, then ran for Sheriff and won. At the time of his 2026 re-election campaign he had accumulated approximately 33 years of total law enforcement experience.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Sheriff Chad Pennell \u2013 North Carolina Sheriffs' Association](https://ncsheriffs.org/people/chad-pennell)\n- [2] [Longtime sheriff defeated in Alexander County; Republican Chad Pennell wins race \u2013 Hickory Record](https://hickoryrecord.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/longtime-sheriff-defeated-in-alexander-county-republican-chad-pennell-wins-race/article_af29760a-5fd0-11ed-b204-532b08d264a6.html)","firstname":"Michael","lastname":"Pennell","middlename":"Chad","suffix":null,"token":"c52e96ca9490deba"},"token":"PHMDCXYhVYXwuEZx"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"sheriff","o.office":"county_sheriff","office":"county_sheriff","officedescription":"The sheriff is the county's chief law-enforcement officer. The office operates the county jail, provides court security, serves civil process and executes warrants, and provides patrol and investigation \u2014 a large operational command with a substantial budget.","officequalities":"- Organizational leadership of a sheriff's office spanning patrol, investigations, court services, and the county jail.\n- Oversight of the county jail, including intake, inmate health, and release procedures.\n- Working knowledge of Tennessee criminal law, court process, and constitutional search-and-seizure standards.\n- Ability to develop and oversee the office's operating budget with public accountability.\n- Coordination with municipal police departments and neighboring-county and state agencies.\n- A documented law-enforcement or public-safety background.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"Sheriff","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Alexander County Sheriff"}