The Progressive Pulse: Black sheriffs make history in sweep of seven largest NC counties
North Carolina has made history by electing 8 black sheriffs one of them female. 7 of those sheriffs are in the largest counties in the state. Mecklenburg, Durham, Guilford, Forsyth, Cumberland, Buncombe, Wake, and Pitt counties. Election analysts and the winners said black candidates were propelled to office largely because they objected to hardline immigration policies and could appeal to voters who felt forgotten or afraid.
An interesting and underreported trend emerging from yesterday’s elections: a historic sweep of black candidates in county sheriff’s races.
The state’s seven largest counties – Buncombe, Cumberland, Durham, Forsyth, Guilford, Mecklenburg and Wake – all elected black men to their county’s top law enforcement positions. Five of those counties – Buncombe, Cumberland, Guilford, Durham, Forsyth – did so for the first time ever.
Each of the new sheriffs will replace a white man in those roles, several of whom are long-serving GOP institutions in their counties.
