{"biography":"Quentin Edward Miller is the incumbent Buncombe County Sheriff and is running for a third term as the Democratic candidate in the 2026 election for Buncombe County, North Carolina. The elected sheriff serves as the county\u2019s chief law\u2011enforcement officer, overseeing the Sheriff\u2019s Office, the county jail, and civil\u2011process duties\u301012\u3011. Miller previously appeared on the ballot in the November 8, 2022 general election, where he was the Democratic nominee for the office\u30101\u3011.\n\nMiller was born and raised in Asheville, graduating from Asheville High School in 1981. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served 11 years as a Military Policeman, including a tour at Fort Bragg. While stationed there he met his wife, Karen Sconiers, and they have been married for 39 years and share 11 grandchildren. Miller and his wife have also fostered more than 100 children since 2005. He holds an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from the North Carolina Department of Justice and completed the Administrative Officers Management Program at North Carolina State University\u30104\u3011.\n\nBefore becoming sheriff, Miller spent a decade with the Asheville Police Department, where he was a founding member of the department\u2019s original community\u2011policing unit, \u201cPACT.\u201d During that time he earned the Officer of the Year award and the Overall Regional Award for creating a street\u2011ministry and midnight\u2011basketball program for at\u2011risk youth. He also led a job\u2011training initiative for unemployed residents and ran a summer camp for at\u2011risk youth for nearly ten years\u30104\u3011.\n\nSince taking office, Miller has pursued a \u201c21st\u202fCentury Policing\u201d agenda. He created a DWI Task Force in 2020 using a $408,000 grant from the North Carolina Governor\u2019s Highway Safety Program, expanding the unit to five deputies\u30105\u3011. He prioritized the testing of unprocessed rape kits, earning the Dogwood Award from Attorney General Josh Stein in 2021\u30105\u3011. Miller instituted a Duty\u2011to\u2011Intervene policy, banned no\u2011knock warrants, and instituted a policy of not honoring ICE detainers without a valid warrant\u30104\u3011. He launched a Medication\u2011Assisted Treatment (MAT) program at the county jail\u2014one of only two pilot programs statewide\u2014and advocated for broader criminal\u2011justice reforms that have been signed into law by Governor Roy Cooper\u30104\u3011. Additional initiatives include pay raises for deputies tied to training and education, expanded dash\u2011cam usage, and increased access to procedural\u2011justice and crisis\u2011intervention training for staff\u30104\u3011.\n\nMiller\u2019s public statements emphasize a balanced approach to public safety, noting that \u201cwe cannot arrest our way out of the opioid crisis\u201d and supporting medication\u2011assisted treatment and medical\u2011marijuana access for patients with serious conditions\u30105\u3011. He also voiced support for DREAMers and called for a federal DACA solution. As the first African\u2011American sheriff of Buncombe County, Miller highlights his historic election and his commitment to community\u2011focused policing as he seeks re\u2011election for a third term\u30104\u3011.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Quentin Miller (Buncombe County Sheriff, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Quentin_Miller_(Buncombe_County_Sheriff,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2022))\n- [4] [Quentin Miller for Sheriff](https://www.quentinforbuncombe.org/)\n- [5] [Accomplishments and Policy \u2014 Quentin Miller for Sheriff](https://www.quentinforbuncombe.org/accomplishments-and-policy)\n- [9] [Quentin Miller for Buncombe County Sheriff (@qm4sheriff) / X](https://x.com/qm4sheriff)\n- [12] [quentin miller](https://www.bpr.org/tags/quentin-miller)","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_sheriff","county":"buncombe","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Buncombe County Sheriff"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Quentin","fullname":"Quentin Edward Miller","lastname":"Miller","middlename":"Edward","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_sheriff","contest_title":"Buncombe County Sheriff","county":"buncombe","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"buncombe","office_key":"county_sheriff","office_title":"Sheriff","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"buncombe","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_sheriff","contest_title":"Buncombe County Sheriff","county":"buncombe","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"buncombe","office_key":"county_sheriff","office_title":"Sheriff","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"DEM","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_sheriff","office_title":"Sheriff","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Quentin Miller, Buncombe County\u2019s first African\u2011American sheriff, seeks a third term after implementing DWI, MAT, and community\u2011policing reforms.","terms":[],"token":"5ce73fc4cee38ba4"}