Durham County 2026 election: Incumbents win sheriff, clerk of superior court races
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- Durham voters select the Sheriff and Clerk of Superior Court in this election.
- The incumbent sheriff and clerk each face challengers for the March primary.
- All candidates for both races are Democrats.
Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead and Clerk of Superior Court Aminah Thompson defeated their opponents in Tuesday’s Democratic primary races by landslide margins.
Birkhead was elected in 2018 as the first Black sheriff in the county’s history. He won a second term in 2022 and said he wants to continue to focus on community-oriented policing and mental health initiatives within the county detention center.
He received the endorsements of the Friends of Durham, the People’s Alliance PAC and the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People PAC. With all 58 precincts reporting, Birkhead won 85% of the vote.
“For the past seven years, serving as your sheriff has been more than a job, it has been a calling,” Birkhead said in a social media post. “Durham, I believe in this community. I believe in our resilience. I believe in our future. But our work is not finished.”
Birkhead faced challenger Johnny Hawkins, a retired correctional warden and current interim director of safety at the Trinity School of Durham.
There are no Republicans running for sheriff in November.
The sheriff serves a four-year term and there are no constitutional limits on how many terms a sheriff can serve in the state.
Durham’s Clerk of Superior Court race
Thompson faced a challenge from A. Beverly Ellis-Maclin.
Just before 10 p.m., she declared victory at congressional candidate Nida Allam’s election watch party.
District Attorney Satana DeBerry, who won her primary Tuesday, called Thompson “the hero of the evening,” and told the crowd “I want you to look at this picture of two Black women with locs.”
Thompson thanked the People’s Alliance PAC and the people of Durham.
“I’m just super excited to be here,” Thompson said. “It is my greatest honor to serve as your Clerk of Superior Court. I look forward to continuing the work that I’m doing, bringing accessibility and efficiency to our courts.
“As clerk of court, I provide record keeping, administration, and I’m also a judge — really protecting the lives and the legacies of our citizens here in Durham,” she said. “And so I’m so excited to be able to continue the work, and I just thank you all for your support.”
Thompson, first elected in 2022, called her campaign “Thompson for Justice,” highlighting her record of leadership and fiscal responsibility.
She had endorsements from the Friends of Durham, the People’s Alliance PAC and the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People PAC.
This story was originally published March 3, 2026 at 11:33 PM.