Justin Duane Dawkins

Justin Dawkins is the incumbent Republican member of the Richmond County Board of Commissioners and is seeking re‑election in the 2026 race for one of the four county commissioner seats [9]. The Board of Commissioners serves as Richmond County’s governing body, with four seats up for election each cycle [9].

Dawkins was first appointed to the Board in 2020 to complete the term of Ben Moss after Moss won a seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives and resigned [6][9]. He subsequently ran as a Republican candidate in the 2022 general election and retained his seat [1][9].

Professionally, Dawkins is the director of operations for the von Drehle Corporation, a manufacturing firm. Over roughly 15 years he has worked in a range of manufacturing roles, from engineering to senior operations leadership [6]. He is active in local and state business and civic organizations: he serves on the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce’s Environmental Policy Committee, was elected to the Richmond County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors in 2023, volunteers with the Richmond County Special Olympics planning committee, and is treasurer of the Rockingham Masonic Lodge [6].

During his appointment and campaign, Dawkins emphasized continuing Richmond County’s recent economic‑development momentum and improving the relationship between the county government and its municipalities [6]. He described himself as “excited and humbled” to serve and highlighted a commitment to transparency, listening to residents, and leveraging his business experience to support the county’s growth [6].

Sources

• [1] Justin Dawkins (Richmond County Board of Commissioners, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia
• [6] Local Republicans nominate Justin Dawkins to fill Moss’s seat | Richmond County Daily Journal
• [9] Filing for Richmond County elections opens Dec. 1 - Richmond Observer