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Chris Lee Shew

Chris Lee Shew

Office history

Wilkes County Sheriff — Wilkes, NC
2026
general
2026-03-03

Chris Shew is the incumbent Sheriff of Wilkes County, North Carolina, and is seeking re‑election as the Republican nominee in the March 3, 2026 primary for a fourth four‑year term. The sheriff’s office is responsible for law‑enforcement, criminal investigations, civil process, detention operations, and emergency response throughout the county. As an elected official, Sheriff Shew must oversee the department’s budget, personnel, policy development, and community‑safety initiatives while complying with state statutes governing sheriffs’ duties.

Shew has spent more than four decades serving Wilkes County. He began his law‑enforcement career on June 17, 1980, when he was sworn in as a part‑time deputy under Sheriff Kyle Gentry. By 1983 he was a full‑time deputy and detention officer, and later that year was promoted to sergeant and then captain of the 2nd shift, supervising investigations, civil processes, and patrol operations. From 1984‑1986 he worked in investigations, handling 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. He then served as chief‑deputy for Sheriff Dane Mastin from 2001 until his election as sheriff in 2010 [5].

Since taking office, Shew has managed the department’s strategic planning, budgeting, and emergency response functions. He has been incident commander for the Hazardous Devices Unit and the Tactical Team, and has earned advanced law‑enforcement certifications from the North Carolina Sheriff’s Training and Standards Division and the North Carolina Criminal Justice Standards and Training Division. He has also served eight years as a reserve officer with the Wilkesboro Police Department [5].

Shew was first elected sheriff in 2010 and has been re‑elected in subsequent cycles, including the 2022 general election where he appeared on the ballot as the Republican candidate [1]. In the 2022 Republican primary he defeated Eric L. Byrd, and in the 2026 primary he again faces Byrd [2]. Campaign 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 [8].

In addition to administrative duties, Sheriff Shew remains active in major investigations. In early 2023 he briefed the media on a month‑long murder case, describing the department’s investigative steps and the eventual discovery of the victim’s body, demonstrating his role as chief deputy and public spokesperson at that time [10].

Shew lives in the Antioch community of Wilkes County, is married with children, and emphasizes his lifelong commitment to law‑enforcement, noting that he began his career in 1979 and has pursued extensive training throughout his service [12]. The sheriff’s office is located at 381 Executive Drive, Wilkesboro, NC [3], and the department’s contact phone is 336‑903‑7600 [3].

Sources

Public filings

Candidates and officeholders are required by law to file campaign finance reports and statements of economic interest. The sites below don't support direct links to an individual record — search by last name on each.

North Carolina — campaign finance

North Carolina — statement of economic interest

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