Marvin Antwon Hilliard

Marvin Antwon Hilliard is a candidate for the office of Martin County Sheriff in the November 3, 2026 general election in Martin County, North Carolina. The sheriff is the chief law‑enforcement officer for the county, responsible for maintaining public safety, overseeing the county jail, serving civil processes, and managing the sheriff’s office budget and personnel.

Hilliard is a native of Martin County. He graduated from Roanoke High School and later earned an associate degree in criminal justice from Nash Community College and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Liberty University. He also completed the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program at Halifax Community College, where he was sponsored by Edgecombe County Sheriff James Knight.

His law‑enforcement career began with the Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, where he rose from deputy to detective and served on the county honor guard. In that role he handled investigations of homicides, arsons, burglaries, narcotics, and illegal gambling, wrote numerous search warrants, and presented cases in court. He later joined the Sharpsburg Police Department, ultimately serving as Captain/Interim Chief, where he managed department budgeting, equipment procurement, staffing, community outreach, and officer training. After resigning to pursue the sheriff’s office, he accepted a position with the Scotland Neck Police Department to remain close to his family and community.

Hilliard’s professional experience includes extensive community liaison work, crime‑deterrence initiatives, and grant writing. He also serves as a North Carolina Criminal Justice Instructor, training officers statewide and coordinating continuing‑education programs. His campaign emphasizes applying this breadth of experience to improve public safety, increase transparency, and strengthen community‑police relations in Martin County.

In the 2022 election, Hilliard appeared on the ballot as an unaffiliated candidate for Martin County Sheriff, running against Democrat Tim Manning [1]. He is now running again in 2026, listed by the campaign as a Democratic candidate, though the only publicly documented party affiliation is his 2022 unaffiliated status. Hilliard can be contacted via the campaign email hilliard4sheriff@gmail.com, which is listed on his Ballotpedia profile [1].

Sources

• [1] Marvin Hilliard (Martin County Sheriff, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia
• [12] Marvin Hilliard