{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Chad E. Hawkins","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nChad Hawkins is the Republican Sheriff of Gaston County, North Carolina, seeking a second term in 2026 [1][3]. He won the March 3, 2026 Republican primary against Robert \"Robbie\" Waldrop by more than five percentage points and is running unopposed in the November 3, 2026 general election [1].\n\n## Career\n\nHawkins worked in law enforcement in Gaston County before being elected sheriff [2]. Published sources reviewed for this bio do not establish his specific prior agencies, years of service, or educational background beyond what is noted below \u2014 several web profiles bearing his name (including a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor's profile citing an Iowa/Illinois background) do not clearly match this Chad Hawkins and were not used.\n\n## Office history\n\nHawkins was sworn in as Gaston County Sheriff in December 2022, succeeding retiring Sheriff Alan Cloninger [2]. He is a member of the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association [3]. His current term runs through January 3, 2028 [3][4].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\n\nDuring the 2026 Republican primary campaign, opponent Robert \"Robbie\" Waldrop alleged at a January 29, 2026 debate that Hawkins had used taxpayer funds for campaign expenses; county records and disclosure documents did not support the claim, according to reporting [1]. Hawkins sued Waldrop over the statements, and Endgame Consulting \u2014 a marketing firm retained by both Hawkins' campaign and the Sheriff's Office \u2014 filed a separate suit against Waldrop over the same allegations [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [See who won the Gaston County sheriff race in the primaries](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/see-won-gaston-county-sheriff-034545494.html) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-19\n[2] [Talking one-on-one with the new Gaston County sheriff \u2014 WBTV](https://www.wbtv.com/video/2022/12/10/talking-one-on-one-with-new-gaston-county-sheriff/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-19\n[3] [Sheriff Chad Hawkins \u2014 North Carolina Sheriffs' Association](https://ncsheriffs.org/people/chad-hawkins) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-19\n[4] [Chad Hawkins \u2014 Civic Mirror](https://civic-mirror.com/official/25596/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-19 (term-end date only)\n[5] [Gaston County Scanner Radio \u2014 Facebook, March 3, 2026 post](https://www.facebook.com/gastonscanner/posts/official-chad-hawkins-has-been-reelected-as-gaston-county-sheriff-voters-have-sp/1515166977275864/) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-19","firstname":"Chad","lastname":"Hawkins","middlename":"Everette","suffix":null,"token":"e3e1cdb3b591d3cc"},"token":"7qyr-xjSCLDzwKw6"}],"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":"Gaston County Sheriff"}