Here are the 2026 candidates for Durham County sheriff, DA and more
After an eventful city election this fall, Durham County voters will cast ballots in the primary election for local, state, judicial and federal offices in March.
Durham County’s sheriff and district attorney are up for election, as well as four of the seven nonpartisan seats on the Durham Public Schools Board of Education.
Durham County voters who are also Raleigh residents will also vote for Raleigh mayor and three other seats on the Raleigh City Council.
The filing period ended Dec. 19.
When is the primary?
The primary election is March 3. Winners in each party’s primary or the top two finishers in each nonpartisan race will advance to the general election Nov. 3.
Registered voters will be able to vote by mail, in person at an early voting site or in person on Election Day at their assigned polling location.
- The deadline to register to vote in both election is Feb. 6
- Absentee voting begins Jan. 12
- Early voting runs from Feb. 12-28
Who’s on the ballot?
Many major seats in the state are up for election next year. This includes one U.S. Senate seat; all 14 of the state’s U.S. House delegation; all 120 seats in the state House; and all 50 seats in the state Senate.
There are also several judicial races, including a state Supreme Court race.
In Durham County, there are six specific contested races on the ballot. Durham County voters who live in the Raleigh city limits also are voting for three seats on the City Council.
- U.S. House, District 4
- N.C. Senate, Districts 20 and 22
- N.C. House, Districts 2, 29, 30 and 31
- Durham County: Sheriff, District Attorney, Clerk of Superior Court, Soil and Water Conservation District
- Durham County Board of Education, Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4
- City of Raleigh (for Durham County voters): Mayor, At-Large (2 seats), and District E
Which local candidates have already filed?
Durham County
Sheriff Clarence Birkhead, a Democrat, was elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. He faces one challenger, Johnny D. Hawkins, a former warden for the state Department of Public Safety.
Incumbent Aminah Thompson, a Democrat, is running for re-election for the Clerk of Superior Court. She was elected in 2022 and faces fellow Democrat A. Beverly Ellis-Maclin.
Incumbent Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry has filed for re-election. She faces one challenger, Jonathan Wilson, an attorney in Durham.
For the Board of Education, four seats are on the ballot and 12 people have filed to run. Incumbents Emily Chávez (District 1) and Jessica Carda-Auten (District 3) have not filed for re-election. On Facebook, District 4’s Natalie Beyer announced she would not be running again.
- District 1: Davit Melikian, Dilcy Burton, Natalie Kitaif
- District 2: Bettina Umstead, Nadeen Bir, Rachel Waltz
- District 3: Lauren Sartain, Peter Crawford, Gabby Rivero
- District 4: Xavier Cason, Jerome Leathers, Kristy Moore
City of Raleigh
In Raleigh, incumbent Mayor Janet Cowell is running against challenger Ashleigh Armstrong to keep her seat.
District E incumbent Christina Jones is also seeking re-election. Marcus Scruggs has also filed to run for the seat.
For at-large, six people are running for two seats incumbent Stormie Forte, Joshua Bradley, Cameron Zamot, Sana Siddiqui, Clark Reinhart, and James Bledsoe.
Who is running for the congressional seats?
U.S. Senate
Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis is not seeking another term. Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Budd is not up for re-election until 2028.
- Democrats: Roy Cooper; Daryl Farrow, Marcus Williams, Orrick Quick, Justice Dues, Robert Colon
- Republicans: Donald Brown, Richard Dansie, Elizabeth Temple, Michael Whatley, Michele Morrow, Margo Dupre, Thomas Johnson
- Libertarian: Shannon Bray
U.S. House, District 4
The state’s fourth district covers parts of Durham, Wake and Orange counties.
- Valerie Foushee, Democrat, incumbent; Nida Allam, Democrat; Mary Patterson, Democrat
- Mahesh Ganorkar, Republican
- Guy Meilleur, Libertarian
Who is running for state seats?
Durham County is covered by four state House seats and two Senate seats.
N.C. Senate
- District 20: Natalie Murdock, Democrat, incumbent
- District 22: Sophia Chitlick, Democrat, incumbent; DeDreana Freeman, Democrat; Lakeisha Alston, Republican
N.C. House
- District 2: Brannon Jeffers, Democrat, incumbent
- District 29: Vernetta Alston, Democrat, incumbent
- District 30: Marcia Morey, Democrat, incumbent; Ray Ubinger, Libertarian
- District 31: Zack Hawkins, Democrat, incumbent
Who is running for judicial seats?
All eligible voters in the state can elect some judicial seat holders, including Supreme Court justices and the Court of Appeals. Durham County voters vote for judges in the 16th district.
N.C. Supreme Court Associate Judge 1
- Anita Earls, Democrat, incumbent
- Sarah Stevens, Republican
N.C. Court of Appeals
- Seat 1: John Arrowood, Democrat, incumbent; Matt Smith, Republican; Michael Byrne, Republican
- Seat 2: Tobias (Toby) Hampson, Democrat, incumbent; George Bell, Republican
- Seat 3: James Whalen, Democrat; Christine Walczyk, Democrat; Craig Collins, Republican
N.C. Superior Court, District 16B (Durham County)
- Seat 2: Myra Griffin, Democrat; Ameshia Chester, Democrat
- Seat 3: Josephine Davis, Democrat
N.C. District Court, District 16 (Durham County)
- Seat 1: Dave Hall, Democrat, incumbent
- Seat 2: Doretta Walker, Democrat, incumbent; Keith Bishop, Democrat
- Seat 3: Kevin Jones, Democrat, incumbent
- Seat 4: Dorothy Mitchell, Democrat, incumbent
- Seat 5: Clayton Jones, Democrat, incumbent; Christy Hamilton Malott, Democrat
- Seat 6: Amanda Maris, Democrat, incumbent
How to check your voter registration
Find your voter registration online at the State Board of Elections website, ncsbe.gov.
More information about the upcoming election including sample ballots, important dates and a full list of candidates can also be there or on the Durham County Board of Elections website, dcovotes.gov.
This story was originally published December 5, 2025 at 4:54 PM.