{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Eric Southerland","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nEric Southerland is the Republican nominee for Duplin County Sheriff. He won the March 3, 2026 Republican primary against incumbent Sheriff Stratton Stokes and candidate Tony James, receiving about 48% of the vote to Stokes's 38% and James's 13% [2]. With no Democratic candidate filed for the seat, Southerland is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot and is set to take office as Duplin County Sheriff on the first Monday in December 2026 [2].\n\n## Career\n\nSoutherland is a graduate of James Sprunt Community College's Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program [3]. He worked for the Duplin County Sheriff's Office for 11 years before serving as Chief of Police in Warsaw, North Carolina, for six years, from 2014 to 2020 [2]. Since retiring from the Warsaw Police Department in 2020, he has taught at James Sprunt Community College [2].\n\n## Office history\n\nSoutherland served as Chief of Police in Warsaw, North Carolina, from 2014 to 2020 [2]. He previously spent 11 years with the Duplin County Sheriff's Office [2]. In the March 3, 2026 Republican primary for Duplin County Sheriff, Southerland defeated incumbent Sheriff Stratton Stokes and candidate Tony James, receiving 2,298 votes to Stokes's 1,823 and James's 629, according to North Carolina State Board of Elections precinct-level results [4]. He is unopposed in the November 3, 2026 general election [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Eric Southerland for Duplin County Sheriff -- Meet Eric](https://www.ericsoutherland4sheriff.org/meet-eric)\n[2] [Southerland speaks after winning Duplin Co. sheriff primary -- WITN](https://www.witn.com/2026/03/05/southerland-speaks-after-winning-duplin-co-sheriff-primary/) -- accessed 2026-07-20\n[3] [Alum Eric Southerland Enjoys Career of a Lifetime in Law Enforcement -- James Sprunt Community College](https://jamesspruntcommunitycollege.wordpress.com/2017/11/29/alum-eric-southerland-enjoys-career-of-lifetime-in-law-enforcement/)\n[4] North Carolina State Board of Elections, March 3, 2026 primary precinct-level results, accessed 2026-07-20 (https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2026_03_03/results_pct_20260303.zip)","firstname":"Samuel","lastname":"Southerland","middlename":"Eric","suffix":null,"token":"8456de9f9aab5fec"},"token":"nYDOAk81a2pyJyLo"}],"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":"Duplin County Sheriff"}