The Gist
Home

County

Sheriff, Chowan County

Vote for
1
Term
4 years
Candidates
2
Election
Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: The sheriff is the county's chief law enforcement officer and runs the county jail.

CandidatesCompare by issue

Kristy L. LaLonde

Democratic

Substance abuse counselor

The gist

  • Supports balancing enforcement with prevention and intervention
  • Supports more transparency from the sheriff's office
  • Supports partnering with mental health and addiction treatment providers
  • Supports regional partnerships against drug trafficking
  • Supports youth programs to prevent crime
More about Kristy
View sources (1)

  1. Supports balancing enforcement with prevention and intervention

    Sheriff candidate LaLonde stresses trust, transparency at forum

    News coverage · The Daily Advance / Chowan Herald · Mar 12, 2026 · dailyadvance.com

    “Enforcement is necessary, but it must be balanced with prevention, intervention and collaboration.”

  2. Supports more transparency from the sheriff's office

    Sheriff candidate LaLonde stresses trust, transparency at forum

    News coverage · The Daily Advance / Chowan Herald · Mar 12, 2026 · dailyadvance.com

    “There needs to be a lot more transparency than there is now”

  3. Supports partnering with mental health and addiction treatment providers

    Sheriff candidate LaLonde stresses trust, transparency at forum

    News coverage · The Daily Advance / Chowan Herald · Mar 12, 2026 · dailyadvance.com

    “Addressing substance abuse and mental health crises requires proactive strategies and partnerships with treatment providers and schools”

  4. Supports regional partnerships against drug trafficking

    Sheriff candidate LaLonde stresses trust, transparency at forum

    News coverage · The Daily Advance / Chowan Herald · Mar 12, 2026 · dailyadvance.com

    “Drug trafficking does not stop at county lines, and cooperation makes our efforts much stronger”

  5. Supports youth programs to prevent crime

    Sheriff candidate LaLonde stresses trust, transparency at forum

    News coverage · The Daily Advance / Chowan Herald · Mar 12, 2026 · dailyadvance.com

    “We need to start young when we start with our children”

Edward (Scooter) Basnight

RepublicanIncumbent

Chowan County Sheriff

The gist

  • Supports community policing built on relationships and trust
  • Led upgrades to radios, dispatch systems and body cameras
  • Supports task-force partnerships while keeping a local focus
More about Edward
View sources (1)

  1. Supports community policing built on relationships and trust

    Basnight seeking second term as sheriff

    News coverage · The Daily Advance / Chowan Herald · Apr 15, 2026 · dailyadvance.com

    “Community policing is at the base of his law enforcement philosophy.”

  2. Led upgrades to radios, dispatch systems and body cameras

    Basnight seeking second term as sheriff

    News coverage · The Daily Advance / Chowan Herald · Apr 15, 2026 · dailyadvance.com

    “Improvements include upgrades to radio communications, computer-aided dispatch systems and in-car technology, as well as the implementation of body cameras”

  3. Supports task-force partnerships while keeping a local focus

    Basnight seeking second term as sheriff

    News coverage · The Daily Advance / Chowan Herald · Apr 15, 2026 · dailyadvance.com

    “The Sheriff’s Office works with state and federal agencies, including task forces, to share information and resources while maintaining focus on local enforcement.”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 3 issues covered in this race.