Gary Parris
Republican
Retired U.S. Navy senior chief petty officer
The gist
- Pledges to rebuild and modernize the understaffed sheriff's office
- Proposes fully staffing the jail with indirect supervision pods
- Pledges the sheriff's office will not enforce for ICE
- Proposes bilingual public information and a sheriff's citizens academy
More about Gary
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Pledges to rebuild and modernize the understaffed sheriff's office
2026 Primary Voter Guide: Buncombe County SheriffCandidate questionnaire · Mountain Xpress · Feb 5, 2026 · web.archive.org
“If elected, my first priority is rebuilding and modernizing the office by investing in deputies, detention officers and their families.”
Proposes fully staffing the jail with indirect supervision pods
2026 Primary Voter Guide: Buncombe County SheriffCandidate questionnaire · Mountain Xpress · Feb 5, 2026 · web.archive.org
“I will hire and retain enough detention officers to fully staff the jail, transition from direct to indirect supervision in housing pods”
Pledges the sheriff's office will not enforce for ICE
2026 Primary Voter Guide: Buncombe County SheriffCandidate questionnaire · Mountain Xpress · Feb 5, 2026 · web.archive.org
“I don’t enforce for ICE. I coordinate with all organizations to make our county safer for everyone.”
Proposes bilingual public information and a sheriff's citizens academy
2026 Primary Voter Guide: Buncombe County SheriffCandidate questionnaire · Mountain Xpress · Feb 5, 2026 · web.archive.org
“I also plan to implement bilingual public information and a bilingual website, establish a sheriff’s citizens academy”