Republican incumbent Terry Johnson won his first contested sheriff’s race in 12 years. Johnson has run an uncontested race for the past three election cycles.
Johnson has 50 years of experience in law enforcement, but his first term for the Alamance County sheriff began in 2002, when he said he wasn’t pleased with the level of training for law enforcers.
The position of sheriff includes law enforcement, investigating crimes, apprehending criminals and overseeing custody of arrested defendants. This year, Johnson said his main goals are to make Alamance County safer and to improve safety, diversity and access to mental health resources.
Johnson gained national attention in 2020 during the Graham protests surrounding the 30 foot tall monument of a confederate soldier located in front of Graham’s courthouse. People were protesting for the removal of the confederate monument, following national protests after the death of George Floyd. Making national news at the time, Johnson said he didn’t think his office’s response of pepper-spraying and arresting protesters was wrong.
Terry Johnson did not respond to Elon News Network's multiple requests for comments.