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Demetrio Guzman Perez
Office history
Current office and 2026 campaign
Demetrio Guzman Perez ran as a Democratic candidate for Cumberland County Sheriff in the 2026 primary in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Perez's top priority is restoring the visibility of the sheriff's office through community engagement and returning school resource officers to sheriff's office oversight; the agency had provided SROs since 1998 but did not renew the contract in 2024.
Background and education
Perez is a Texas native who moved to Fayetteville in 1979 when the U.S. Army brought him there. He spent 20 years in the military before transitioning to civilian law enforcement. He is bilingual and has served as a bilingual hostage negotiator.
Career
Following his military service, Perez spent 18 years as a deputy with the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office. His experience spanned school resource work, gang investigations, supervisory roles, bilingual hostage negotiation, recruiting, and polygraph examinations. He currently works as a security specialist for Cumberland County Schools.
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
- State, county, and municipal candidates — all in one system — NC State Board of Elections — Committee Search. Search by last name “Perez”.
North Carolina — statement of economic interest
- Required for state-elected and many local officials — NC State Ethics Commission — Statement of Economic Interest Search. Search by last name “Perez”.