{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Chris Shew","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nChris Shew is the incumbent Sheriff of Wilkes County, North Carolina, first elected in 2010 [1][2]. He won the Republican primary for a fifth term on March 3, 2026, receiving 3,583 votes to challengers Jamie Dowell (3,370), David Gambill (1,260), Eric L. Byrd (1,126), David Carson (1,082), and Sharon Call-Diaz (218), according to official North Carolina State Board of Elections results [3]. He advances to the November 3, 2026 general election as the Republican nominee.\n\n## Career\n\nShew has spent more than four decades in Wilkes County law enforcement. He was sworn in as a part-time deputy on June 17, 1980, under Sheriff Kyle Gentry; became a full-time deputy and detention officer by 1983; and was promoted that year to sergeant and then captain of the 2nd shift, supervising investigations, civil process, and patrol operations [1]. From 1984 to 1986 he worked in investigations on property crimes and major cases. In December 1986 he became chief detective under Sheriff Fred Myers, a role he held until 2001 overseeing all county investigations, then served as chief deputy for Sheriff Dane Mastin from 2001 until his own election as sheriff in 2010 [1]. He has been incident commander for the Hazardous Devices Unit and the Tactical Team, holds advanced certifications from the North Carolina Sheriffs' Training and Standards Division and the North Carolina Criminal Justice Standards and Training Division, and served eight years as a reserve officer with the Wilkesboro Police Department [1]. In early 2023 he briefed media on a month-long murder investigation, describing the department's investigative steps [4].\n\n## Office history\n\nShew was first elected sheriff in 2010 [1][2]. In the 2022 Republican primary he defeated Eric L. Byrd, 7,090 votes to 3,653; he then ran unopposed in the November 2022 general election, winning 21,345 votes for his fourth term, according to official NCSBE results [3]. In the 2026 Republican primary (detailed above) he defeated five challengers to advance toward a fifth term [3].\n\nCampaign finance filings for the 2022-23 cycle show Shew raised $17,726 and spent $15,667, with contributions from local supporters and in-kind expenses for advertising, signage, and event catering [5].\n\n## Family\n\nShew lives in the Antioch community of Wilkes County and is married with children [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Staff Directory \u2022 Chris Shew](https://wilkescounty.net/directory.aspx?EID=6) \u2014 Wilkes County government\n[2] [Sheriff candidates tell background, why they're running](https://www.journalpatriot.com/sheriff-candidates-tell-background-why-theyre-running/article_2741b7d7-8cef-546f-a60c-b2dd29f9bb4c.html) \u2014 Journal Patriot\n[3] North Carolina State Board of Elections \u2014 official precinct-level results for Wilkes County Sheriff: 2022 Republican primary (May 17, 2022) at https://dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2022_05_17/results_pct_20220517.zip, 2022 general election (November 8, 2022) at https://dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2022_11_08/results_pct_20221108.zip, and 2026 Republican primary (March 3, 2026) at https://dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2026_03_03/results_pct_20260303.zip \u2014 accessed 2026-07-19\n[4] [Three Charged in Wilkes County Murder](https://www.ashepostandtimes.com/news/three-charged-in-wilkes-county-murder/article_3c186135-3fd1-56eb-96de-44787229e2fc.html) \u2014 Ashe Post & Times\n[5] [Sheriff's race leads local spending](https://www.journalpatriot.com/news/sheriff-s-race-leads-local-spending/article_a0eabb42-52da-11e8-9cd5-034a37e78512.html) \u2014 Journal Patriot","firstname":"Chris","lastname":"Shew","middlename":"Lee","suffix":null,"token":"3bd8f30b6aab960b"},"token":"SKVw8LBMGFNzYwaI"}],"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":"Wilkes County Sheriff"}