Samuel Scott Page

Samuel "Sam" Page is the elected Sheriff of Rockingham County, North Carolina, a position he has held since 1998 and will occupy through December 31, 2026 ³. In 2026 he is the Republican nominee for the North Carolina State Senate, District 26, after defeating longtime Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger in the March 3 primary and advancing to the November 3 general election against Democrat Steve Luking ¹⁴⁹¹⁵.

Page grew up in Reidsville, graduating from Reidsville High School in 1975 ¹. He immediately entered the U.S. Air Force, serving five years (1975‑1980) as a security‑forces K‑9 handler ¹. After his military service he began a career in law‑enforcement, working as a patrolman, criminal investigator and administrator before running for sheriff ¹.

As Rockingham County sheriff, Page has overseen the department for more than two decades, earning the presidency of the North Carolina Sheriffs Association and leading the “Sheriffs for Trump” coalition in 2016 ⁸. He also served as President Donald Trump’s North Carolina campaign chair in 2020 ⁸. Page gained statewide attention for opposing a 2023 casino‑expansion proposal championed by Berger, arguing the project conflicted with the district’s conservative, faith‑based values ⁴¹²¹⁴.

Page’s campaign platform emphasizes a “tough‑on‑crime” agenda: reinstating the death penalty, strengthening penalties for violent offenders, and providing law‑enforcement and prosecutors with additional tools ⁸. On education, he proposes raising the starting salary for teachers to $50,000, expanding incentives to retain educators, and implementing “smart, accountable” school‑choice policies with safeguards ⁸. He also backs repealing the public‑records exemption passed by Berger, instituting term limits for legislative leadership, and cutting taxes on overtime and tipped wages ⁸.

In the primary, Page’s narrow victory—initially reported as a two‑vote margin and later certified at a 23‑vote lead after canvassing—represented a seismic shift in North Carolina politics, unseating the state’s most powerful Republican legislator ^{1491215161718}. Despite being outspent by Berger by more than 50‑to‑1, Page’s grassroots support and local reputation helped secure the win ¹⁴. He has pledged to focus on the needs of Guilford and Rockingham counties in the upcoming general election ¹¹⁸.

Sources