Garry Leonard Mcfadden

Garry L. McFadden is the incumbent Sheriff of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and is seeking a third term in the November 3, 2026 general election. He assumed office on December 4, 2018, and his current term is set to end on December 7, 2026; the office of sheriff in Mecklenburg County oversees the county jail, court security, and a range of law‑enforcement duties within the jurisdiction ⁹¹.

McFadden was born in Sumter, South Carolina, grew up in Elliott, and graduated from Mt Pleasant High School. He moved to Charlotte in 1977 to attend Johnson C. Smith University, where he earned his degree ³. He then embarked on a 36‑year career with the Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), spending more than two decades as a homicide detective and achieving one of the highest murder‑case solve rates in the department’s history ³. His investigative work led to a television series, “I Am Homicide,” and later appearances on Investigation Discovery’s “Homicide City” ³⁹.

In 2018 McFadden ran for sheriff on a platform that promised to end the county’s participation in the federal 287(g) immigration partnership and to refuse ICE detainers, a stance that earned national attention ⁹. He was sworn in as the 45th sheriff on December 4, 2018 and was re‑elected without opposition in the 2022 general election, receiving 100 % of the vote ¹.

During his tenure McFadden has launched several community‑focused initiatives. He created the “Cops and Barbers” program, which earned recognition from the Obama administration for building trust between police and residents ³⁹. He also instituted a recording‑studio program for inmates, expanded a traffic‑enforcement unit, and promoted rehabilitation‑oriented policies within the jail ¹². His public service has been honored with awards from organizations such as Omega Psi Phi, the NAACP, and he was named Charlotte’s Citizen of the Year in 2015 ³.

McFadden’s time in office has been marked by significant controversy. An ongoing State Bureau of Investigation inquiry examines alleged misconduct, and the sheriff’s office has faced multiple lawsuits, including challenges over concealed‑handgun permit processing and a series of deaths at the county detention center ⁶⁵¹². Former chief deputies have publicly accused him of creating a “toxic and abusive work environment,” and a petition filed by five voters—including state Rep. Carla Cunningham and former chief deputy Kevin Canty—sought his removal on grounds of attempted extortion, corruption, and willful misconduct ⁶⁷¹¹. A Superior Court judge dismissed the petition for lack of jurisdiction, noting that the district attorney and county attorney had not approved it ¹¹.

Despite these headwinds, McFadden won the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary with 33.8 % of the vote (33,422 votes), defeating three challengers—Ricky Robbins, Rodney Collins, and Antwain Nance—in a four‑way race ¹⁵¹². No Republican candidates filed for the office, so his primary victory secured his place on the November ballot ¹⁵. He has emphasized continued jail reforms, community outreach, and the expansion of successful programs as priorities for his next term ¹².

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