{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nDoug \"Tank\" Anthony ran as a Democratic candidate for Swain County Sheriff in the March 3, 2026 primary, one of two Democrats competing for the nomination alongside David Southards [1]. Southards won the primary with 71.46 percent of the vote to Anthony's roughly 28.5 percent [2].\n\n## Career\nAnthony has been in law enforcement since July 1996, serving as a patrol officer and drug investigator [1]. He previously ran for Swain County Sheriff in 2022, when he lost to then-incumbent Sheriff Curtis Cochran; the 2026 campaign was his second bid for the office [1].\n\nAnthony's 2026 campaign emphasized selecting staff \"who want to work for you for the right reasons,\" and prioritized officer training and accountability achieved through dialogue rather than body cameras [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Democrats and Republicans face off in crowded race for Swain sheriff \u2013 Smoky Mountain News](https://smokymountainnews.com/news/item/40833-democrats-and-republicans-face-off-in-crowded-race-for-swain-sheriff)\n[2] [Kirkland, Southards to face off for Swain Sheriff \u2013 Smoky Mountain News](https://smokymountainnews.com/news/item/40979-kirkland-southards-to-face-of-for-swain-sheriff)","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_sheriff","county":"swain","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Swain County Sheriff"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Troy","fullname":"Troy Douglas Anthony","lastname":"Anthony","middlename":"Douglas","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_sheriff","contest_title":"Swain County Sheriff","county":"swain","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"swain","office_key":"county_sheriff","office_title":"Sheriff","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"swain","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_sheriff","contest_title":"Swain County Sheriff","county":"swain","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"swain","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":[]}],"terms":[],"token":"ea5093af12551488"}