James Atlas Mcvicker

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‑elected in 2018, 2022, and again in 2022 for a third term, most recently defeating Democratic challenger Hakeem Brown by 6,507‑5,216 votes ⁶.

McVicker is a native of Bladen County. He began his law‑enforcement 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‑enforcement training courses and then ran for sheriff, winning his first term in 2014 ⁶⁷.

Before becoming sheriff, McVicker accumulated roughly 45 years of law‑enforcement 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‑enforcement collaborations, attending the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association Annual Business Conference in 2024, where he highlighted the importance of networking and training among sheriffs ¹¹.

McVicker’s tenure has been marked by both community initiatives and controversy. Campaign‑finance records reveal that his 2014 and 2018 re‑election campaigns paid the Red Dome Group and political operative McCrae Dowless for “get‑out‑the‑vote” 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‑harvesting and absentee‑ballot 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’s campaign ⁸¹⁰.

Despite 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’s law‑enforcement operations, jail, and civil‑process duties, while campaigning for re‑election in the 2026 race.

Sources