{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Jim McVicker","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"James McVicker is the incumbent Sheriff of Bladen County, North Carolina, and is seeking a fourth term as the Republican candidate in the 2026 election for Bladen County Sheriff. He has served as sheriff since first winning the office in 2014 and was re\u2011elected in 2018, 2022, and again in 2022 for a third term, most recently defeating Democratic challenger Hakeem Brown by 6,507\u20115,216 votes [6].\n\nMcVicker is a native of Bladen County. He began his law\u2011enforcement career with the Lumberton Police Department before joining the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, from which he retired in 2001. After retirement he taught law\u2011enforcement training courses and then ran for sheriff, winning his first term in 2014 [6][7].\n\nBefore becoming sheriff, McVicker accumulated roughly 45 years of law\u2011enforcement experience, including service as a state trooper and as a police officer. As sheriff, he has emphasized school safety, promising to maintain school resource officers and to have deputies regularly visit schools and churches. He also participates in statewide law\u2011enforcement collaborations, attending the North Carolina Sheriffs\u2019 Association Annual Business Conference in 2024, where he highlighted the importance of networking and training among sheriffs [11].\n\nMcVicker\u2019s tenure has been marked by both community initiatives and controversy. Campaign\u2011finance records reveal that his 2014 and 2018 re\u2011election campaigns paid the Red Dome Group and political operative McCrae Dowless for \u201cget\u2011out\u2011the\u2011vote\u201d services, with payments of $8,000 to Red Dome and $8,800 to Dowless in 2018, and similar payments in 2014. These payments have been cited in investigations into alleged ballot\u2011harvesting and absentee\u2011ballot irregularities in Bladen County, leading to subpoenas from the North Carolina State Board of Elections and testimony alleging that Dowless was paid to procure absentee ballots on behalf of McVicker\u2019s campaign [8][10].\n\nDespite the investigations, McVicker has not publicly commented on the allegations, and the 2022 election results were not contested. He continues to serve as sheriff, overseeing the county\u2019s law\u2011enforcement operations, jail, and civil\u2011process duties, while campaigning for re\u2011election in the 2026 race.\n\n## Sources\n- [6] [McVicker re-elected as Bladen County Sheriff](https://www.wect.com/2022/11/01/mcvicker-brown-face-off-again-2022-election-bladen-county-sheriff/)\n- [7] [McVicker wins Bladen County sheriff\u2019s race](https://www.wect.com/2018/11/07/mcvicker-wins-bladen-county-sheriffs-race/)\n- [8] [Bladen County sheriff\u2019s connection to Red Dome, Dowless predates first term](https://www.wect.com/2018/12/11/bladen-county-sheriffs-connection-red-dome-dowless-predates-first-term/)\n- [10] [McVicker campaign paid man connected to alleged NC ballot harvesting operation](https://www.wect.com/2018/12/12/mcvicker-campaign-paid-man-connected-alleged-ballot-harvesting-operation/)\n- [11] [Sheriff McVicker attends NC Sheriffs\u2019 Association Annual Business Conference | Bladen Journal](https://www.bladenjournal.com/news/71616/sheriff-mcvicker-attends-nc-sheriffs-association-annual-business-conference)","firstname":"James","lastname":"Mcvicker","middlename":"Atlas","suffix":null,"token":"0c096ce7b33e67b9"},"token":"RFE1jK-1CCEVH73E"},{"candidatename":"Ray Marlowe","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"UNA","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nRaymond Clyde Marlowe II currently serves as a candidate for Sheriff of Bladen County [1]. He is running in the 2026 election as an unaffiliated candidate [1]. Marlowe self-describes as a lifelong resident of Bladen County and announced his candidacy via a post on the \"Elect Ray Marlowe for Sheriff\" Facebook page [1]. His campaign has collected petition signatures to secure his placement on the November ballot [1].\n\n## Background and education\n\nRay Marlowe self-describes as a lifelong resident of Bladen County [1]. He states that he is running for Sheriff of Bladen County as an unaffiliated candidate [1]. The provided sources do not contain specific details regarding his year of birth, religious affiliation, or the schools and degrees he attended.\n\n## Career\n\nRay Marlowe self-describes as a lifelong resident of Bladen County [1]. Public records indicate he has lived in White Oak, North Carolina, and previously resided on Martin Gourd Road in Clarkton, North Carolina [4]. He is identified in public data as Raymond Clyde Marlowe Jr. [4].\n\nMarlowe has served in law enforcement within Bladen County, holding the rank of deputy with the Bladen County Sheriff's Office [3]. During his service, he was involved in operations such as drug raids [3]. The sheriff's office has held award and recognition ceremonies for its personnel, which Marlowe attended [2].\n\n## Office history\n\nRaymond Clyde Marlowe II self-describes as a lifelong resident of Bladen County who announced his candidacy for Sheriff of Bladen County on an unaffiliated basis [1]. He states that he appeared on the November ballot for this office and acknowledges support from individuals who assisted in collecting signatures for his petition [1]. The provided source does not specify the year of this election, nor does it detail any prior elected or appointed offices held by Marlowe.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Elect Ray Marlowe for Sheriff - Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/61588344336278/posts/my-name-is-ray-marlowe-and-i-am-a-lifelong-resident-of-bladen-county-today-i-am-/122098043901278144/)\n[2] [Sheriff\u2019s Office holds award, recogniziton ceremony | Bladen Journal](https://www.bladenjournal.com/news/983/sheriffs-office-holds-award-recogniziton-ceremony)\n[3] [Bladen County Sheriff's Deputy Shot During Drug Raid](https://www.wect.com/story/4988156/bladen-county-sheriffs-deputy-shot-during-drug-raid/)\n[4] [33 Reports for Raymond Marlowe - Anywho](https://www.anywho.com/people/raymond+marlowe)","firstname":"Raymond","lastname":"Marlowe","middlename":"Clyde","suffix":"II","token":"1412f9254499434f"},"token":"lRCTAP4EkWoYWLmy"},{"candidatename":"Chris Hunt","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"According to the North Carolina voter file, Talmadge Christopher Hunt is a registered voter in Bladen County, North Carolina, registered since 1998 (28 years), with party affiliation listed as Democratic [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Talmadge Christopher Hunt's year of birth as 1963; NC publishes only the year of birth in its bulk voter export, so day and month are not part of the public record [1].\n\nThe voter history file shows 6 elections voted in since 2016, most recently the 2026-03-03 primary election [2].\n\nThis summary draws only from the public North Carolina voter registration and history records. No additional published biographical information was located. Voters with personal knowledge of Talmadge Christopher Hunt can reach ballotproject.org with corrections or additions.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [North Carolina State Board of Elections \u2014 Voter Search](https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/)\n\n[2] North Carolina State Board of Elections voter history file (`ncvhis_Statewide`), published at [dl.ncsbe.gov](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/)","firstname":"Talmadge","lastname":"Hunt","middlename":"Christopher","suffix":null,"token":"940dd4328554751a"},"token":"lNjKA_R2aq8c8uwk"}],"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":"Bladen County Sheriff"}