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Chris Ellington Wood
Office history
Current office and 2026 campaign
Chris Ellington Wood is the incumbent Cherokee County Sheriff. The Cherokee County Republican Party recommended him to fill the vacancy left by Sheriff Dustin Smith's resignation in early February 2026, and the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners appointed him to serve out the remainder of Smith's term, which expires in December 2026 12. Wood won the March 3, 2026 Republican primary for a full term with 80.55% of the vote, against Sam May and withdrawn candidate Dustin Smith, who still appeared on the ballot and received 8.31% 1.
Background
According to the North Carolina voter file, Wood is a registered voter in Cherokee County, North Carolina, registered since 2005 (21 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican 3.
The voter file shows Wood's year of birth as 1970; NC publishes only the year of birth in its bulk voter export, so day and month are not part of the public record 3.
The voter history file shows 10 elections voted in since 2016, most recently the 2026-03-03 primary election 4.
Sources
ncvhis_Statewide), published at dl.ncsbe.govPublic filings
Candidates and officeholders are required by law to file campaign finance reports and statements of economic interest. The sites below don't support direct links to an individual record — search by last name on each.
North Carolina — campaign finance
- State, county, and municipal candidates — all in one system — NC State Board of Elections — Committee Search. Search by last name “Wood”.
North Carolina — statement of economic interest
- Required for state-elected and many local officials — NC State Ethics Commission — Statement of Economic Interest Search. Search by last name “Wood”.