Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson is among the many Republican incumbents who lost races on Election Day in North Carolina.
Johnson lost his race to Shannon L. Long, who ran as an independent candidate. Long is a pastor of the Haw River church Beyond Measure Ministries and former Orange County sheriff's deputy who ran on a platform of reforming the Sheriff's Office.
Long won by about 3,000 votes, with 52.4% of the total in unofficial results.
Johnson, the Alamance sheriff since 2002, received 47.59% of the vote, with all 39 precincts reporting.
In his campaign, Long proposed "prevention-focused" policing and mental health support efforts, emphasizing public transparency and strengthening relationships between officers and residents, according to a campaign website.
"I look forward to serving this community with integrity, compassion, humility, and a genuine commitment to making a positive difference," Long said in a statement on social media.
As the county's top law enforcement chief, Johnson faced a string of controversies during his tenure.
The Justice Department investigated Johnson's office for discriminatory policing, and he was known for his office's collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In 2020, he made national headlines when Alamance deputies pepper-sprayed people participating in a peaceful voting rights march.
"As the results of the election are finalized, I want to extend my sincere congratulations to Shannon Long on his election as the next Sheriff of Alamance County," Johnson said in a statement. "While the outcome was not what I had hoped for, I fully respect the decision of the voters and am grateful to everyone who supported me, stood beside me, and placed their confidence in my leadership throughout this journey."
In the last two years, new laws in North Carolina have mandated cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE. The Alamance County Sheriff's Office was ahead of that as an active participant of the 287(g) agreement with ICE, WUNC News previously reported.
The Alamance County Detention Center housed up to 40 immigration detainees through contracts with ICE until Johnson ended the agreement late last year. Johnson cited costs and jail crowding, according to The Alamance News.
Alamance County incumbent losses
Beyond the Sheriff's race, three Republican county commissioners fell to Democratic challengers in Alamance County, state election results show.
And Ian Baltutis, former mayor of Burlington, defeated Republican incumbent Ryan Moffitt, by 236 votes in the race for NC State House District 63.
