Theron Lee Mccabe

Theron McCabe is the incumbent Democratic commissioner for Craven County Board of Commissioners District 5 and is a candidate for re‑election in the November 3, 2026 general election. He currently serves on the Board, which governs Craven County by setting policy, approving the budget, and overseeing county services. [6]

McCabe is a native of Craven County, the son of the late Rev. Roy and Bertha McCabe. He grew up in the Harlowe community and graduated from Havelock High School in 1967. After high school he moved to Brooklyn, New York, where he attended the Police Academy for six months and entered the New York City Housing Authority Police Department, later serving with the New York City Police Department. He was promoted to detective and assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Division, and the Manhattan Narcotics Unit before retiring in 1995. [6]

Following retirement, McCabe returned to Craven County and became active in his hometown. He joined the Harlowe Volunteer Fire Department in 1996, serving three terms as Chief and one term as Assistant Chief. He was first elected to the Craven County Board of Commissioners in 2006. Over the years he has served on numerous local boards and committees, including the Harlowe Community Improvement Association (Vice Chair), Firemen’s Relief Fund Board of Directors, Craven County Crime Stoppers Board, Craven County Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Board of Directors, the Eastern Carolina Council Board, Craven County Smart Start Board, Down East Rural Planning Organization, New Bern Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, Military Growth Task Force, Local Emergency Planning Committee, Nursing Home Advisory Committee, Coastal Community Action Board, Coastal Regional Airport Authority Board, and the Havelock Library Board. He received the Old North State Award from Governor Roy Cooper. [6]

In the 2022 election cycle, McCabe ran for re‑election to represent District 5. He won the Democratic primary against Milly Acevedo on May 17, 2022 and faced Republican Shevel Hunt in the November 8, 2022 general election. [1]

McCabe’s stated priorities for Craven County include supporting and enhancing the county’s education system, expanding recreational opportunities for youth, improving public safety and emergency services, and upgrading infrastructure such as sewer, drainage, highways, and secondary roads. Notable accomplishments cited on his official biography include helping to establish the new Havelock Community Health Center, securing Community Development Block Grants to provide water service to seven residences and to reconstruct homes for five low‑ to moderate‑income families in the Harlowe community, collaborating with the Department of Transportation on a beautification project at the intersection of Temples Point Road and NC Hwy 101, renovating the Harlowe community picnic shelter, and obtaining funding to resurface and make ADA‑compliant the parking lot at the Godette School Head Start Program building. [6]

In addition to his county duties, McCabe was elected by the Craven County Commissioners and other District 3 counties (Carteret, Duplin, Greene, Jones, Lenoir, Onslow, Pamlico, and Wayne) to serve a two‑year term on the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Board of Directors, a role that provides regional leadership for county governments across the state. [10]

With a career spanning law‑enforcement, fire service, and decades of elected service, McCabe is campaigning to continue representing District 5 on the Craven County Board of Commissioners in the 2026 election. [6]

Sources

• [1] Theron McCabe (Craven County Board of Commissioners District 5, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia
• [6] Theron McCabe | Craven County
• [9] Theron McCabe - Previous Member for Craven County Government
• [10] Theron McCabe Elected to North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Boad of Directors