Sheriff Sam Page toppled NC’s powerful Senate leader. What to know about him
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- Phil Berger conceded the District 26 Republican primary to Sheriff Sam Page on Tuesday.
- Page, a sheriff since 1998, faced SBI probe over jail deaths, vending account.
- Page backed higher teacher pay, opposed local casino plans and retained local popularity.
Phil Berger’s 25-year career in the North Carolina Senate, with 15 years as the top Republican politician in the state, was ended by a local sheriff. Berger conceded his GOP primary race for Senate District 26 on Tuesday.
While Berger is an institution across the Old North State, leading the modern conservative era in state politics, the man who defeated him is not well known.
Here’s what you should know about Page, who is moving on to the general election in November as the frontrunner in a district that leans strongly Republican.
Sheriff of Rockingham County
Page has been sheriff longer than Berger has been a senator, so he is well known in his home county. Page grew up in Reidsville and now lives in Eden. He remains sheriff through the end of his current term in December.
He has been sheriff of Rockingham County since 1998. He was once a Democrat and changed parties in the 1990s.
Page and the Berger family have long been at odds, and Rockingham County Commissioner Kevin Berger, Phil Berger’s son, has been a top critic of Page during county commissioners’ meetings. Page has faced heavy scrutiny over a series of deaths at the county jail, as well as his use of money from a vending machine account, both of which led to State Bureau of Investigation investigations.
But Page also has remained popular in the community, with supporters saying he earned their votes for being so involved over the years, from speaking to Girl Scout troops to appearing at churches.
He’s hard to miss when he enters a room. Page is 6-foot-5 and wears a cowboy hat.
Campaigned for Trump
President Donald Trump gave Berger his endorsement while also complimenting Page and offering him a job to drop out, but Page stayed in the race, even after a phone call from Trump.
Page worked for Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign in North Carolina and still supports him despite not getting an endorsement.
Echoing a phrase by Trump, Page said if he becomes a senator he’ll “drain the swamp” in Raleigh.
Supports House proposal on teacher salaries
Page told The News & Observer during the primary that he supports a $50,000 starting salary for teachers, with “competitive pay step increases over 30 years” for longevity. He also backs restoring enhanced pay for master’s degrees, which is part of the North Carolina House of Representatives’ 2025 budget proposal.
The House and Senate, both controlled by Republicans, have not been able to agree on a new two-year budget.
“It is important to maintain qualified teachers in the classroom, but also teachers need to be given support in the state and at the local level as valued employees in the teaching profession,” Page said.
Opposes casino plan
Page and other residents of Rockingham County came to the General Assembly in 2023 when Berger was pushing to legalize four casinos, including one in his district. Page spoke out against Berger’s plan, and still opposes casino expansion, which never came to fruition.
A casino opened on the Virginia side of the state border, just north of Rockingham County.
“If Virginia makes bad decisions, it doesn’t mean North Carolina has to,” Page told The N&O in an interview in February, saying that casinos are an example of a predatory business.
This story was originally published March 26, 2026 at 3:54 PM.
