{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Sam May","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nSamuel \"Sam\" Fredrick May ran in the March 3, 2026 Republican primary for Cherokee County Sheriff, finishing behind winner Chris Wood, who took 80.55% of the vote. Withdrawn candidate Dustin Smith, the former incumbent sheriff who had resigned in February, still appeared on the ballot and received 8.31%, leaving May with roughly 11% of the vote [1]. May will not appear on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot.\n\n## Background\nAccording to the North Carolina voter file, May is a registered voter in Cherokee County, North Carolina, registered since 2023 (3 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [2].\n\nThe voter file shows May's year of birth as 1972; NC publishes only the year of birth in its bulk voter export, so day and month are not part of the public record [2].\n\nThe voter history file shows 3 elections voted in since 2016, most recently the 2026-03-03 primary election [3].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Voters toss incumbents in Cherokee County elections \u2013 Cherokee Scout](https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-news/voters-toss-incumbent-cherokee-county-commissioners)\n[2] [North Carolina State Board of Elections \u2014 Voter Search](https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/)\n[3] North Carolina State Board of Elections voter history file (`ncvhis_Statewide`), published at [dl.ncsbe.gov](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/)","firstname":"Samuel","lastname":"May","middlename":"Fredrick","suffix":null,"token":"aea65c14a0d9e592"},"token":"YxiIzn8Zdtv--avd"},{"candidatename":"Chris Wood","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nChris Ellington Wood is the incumbent Cherokee County Sheriff. The Cherokee County Republican Party recommended him to fill the vacancy left by Sheriff Dustin Smith's resignation in early February 2026, and the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners appointed him to serve out the remainder of Smith's term, which expires in December 2026 [1][2]. Wood won the March 3, 2026 Republican primary for a full term with 80.55% of the vote, against Sam May and withdrawn candidate Dustin Smith, who still appeared on the ballot and received 8.31% [1].\n\n## Background\nAccording to the North Carolina voter file, Wood is a registered voter in Cherokee County, North Carolina, registered since 2005 (21 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [3].\n\nThe voter file shows Wood's year of birth as 1970; NC publishes only the year of birth in its bulk voter export, so day and month are not part of the public record [3].\n\nThe voter history file shows 10 elections voted in since 2016, most recently the 2026-03-03 primary election [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Voters toss incumbents in Cherokee County elections \u2013 Cherokee Scout](https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-news/voters-toss-incumbent-cherokee-county-commissioners)\n[2] [Sheriff resigns after 3 stormy years \u2013 Cherokee Scout](https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-newsletter/sheriff-resigns-after-3-stormy-years)\n[3] [North Carolina State Board of Elections \u2014 Voter Search](https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/)\n[4] North Carolina State Board of Elections voter history file (`ncvhis_Statewide`), published at [dl.ncsbe.gov](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/)","firstname":"Chris","lastname":"Wood","middlename":"Ellington","suffix":null,"token":"ee8580c21753ac9e"},"token":"ZpK4LPm8ftBxFYs7"},{"candidatename":"Dustin D. Smith","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"> **Status note.** Dustin Dewayne Smith resigned as Cherokee County Sheriff in early February 2026 after District Attorney Ashley Welch called for his resignation, citing a \"loss in confidence, trust and respect,\" and withdrew from the 2026 sheriff's race. His name remained on the March 3, 2026 Republican primary ballot, where he still received 8.31% of the vote; he will not appear on the November general ballot [1][2].\n\n## Career\nSmith, a one-term sheriff first elected in 2022 after serving as assistant police chief in Murphy, saw his three years in office marked by a botched SWAT raid that produced a multimillion-dollar judgment against the county, three jail escapes (one resulting in the death of a detention officer), a no-confidence notice from the district attorney against one of his lieutenants, and the temporary closure of the evidence room after an audit found evidence missing [2]. In his resignation statement, Smith said the prior three years had \"taken a real toll\" on his family, health, and personal relationships [2].\n\n## Background\nAccording to the North Carolina voter file, Smith is a registered voter in Cherokee County, North Carolina, registered since 2002 (24 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [3].\n\nThe voter file shows Smith's year of birth as 1979; NC publishes only the year of birth in its bulk voter export, so day and month are not part of the public record [3].\n\nThe voter history file shows 12 elections voted in since 2016, most recently the 2026-03-03 primary election [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Voters toss incumbents in Cherokee County elections \u2013 Cherokee Scout](https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-news/voters-toss-incumbent-cherokee-county-commissioners)\n[2] [Sheriff resigns after 3 stormy years \u2013 Cherokee Scout](https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-newsletter/sheriff-resigns-after-3-stormy-years)\n[3] [North Carolina State Board of Elections \u2014 Voter Search](https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/)\n[4] North Carolina State Board of Elections voter history file (`ncvhis_Statewide`), published at [dl.ncsbe.gov](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/)","firstname":"Dustin","lastname":"Smith","middlename":"Dewayne","suffix":null,"token":"3a223749ad517f8b"},"token":"6pGzlTsbBDFFnbmW"}],"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":"Cherokee County Sheriff"}