Troy McDuffie won the Democratic primary for Cumberland County Sheriff Tuesday, unseating incumbent Johnathan Morgan and topping a four‑way field after a campaign cycle marked by questions of experience and a late dispute over a quote attributed to a former sheriff who died in 2022.
McDuffie led the pack, pulling nearly half of Democratic voters with 49.55% (11,138 votes), ahead of Morgan’s 27% (6,070), according to unofficial results.
Perez earned 15.58% (3,502), and Bailer rounded out the field with 7.87% (1,769).
McDuffie will face Republican LaRue Windham in November.
McDuffie Defeats Incumbent
Calling from a watch party Tuesday night, McDuffie, a longtime law‑enforcement leader across Cumberland and Hoke counties, reflected on the campaign and the margin of his win.
“As difficult as it was at times, I tried not to get pulled into the negativity,” he said. “What voters looked at is experience and proven leadership.”
Asked what he believed Morgan’s biggest mistake was, McDuffie declined to single out any one issue. “I stay focused on the facts,” he said. “That’s what I’ve done throughout the years of my leadership.”
McDuffie said the results showed voters were clear about the direction they wanted the office to take. “It’s a business—may the best man win—and the voters resoundingly said Troy McDuffie is who we want for the next Cumberland County sheriff,” he said.
McDuffie would become the second Black sheriff in county history, following former Sheriff Ennis Wright, who endorsed him in this race.
Wright’s endorsement was notable because he had personally encouraged Morgan to apply for the sheriff’s appointment in 2025 after Wright retired. County commissioners unanimously appointed Morgan in August to complete Wright’s unexpired term.
Turbulent Finish for Appointed Sheriff
Before polls closed, Morgan told CityView he planned to comment after the results were finalized. He did not respond to several calls and emails Tuesday night.
His campaign entered its final month under scrutiny after Wright criticized a Morgan flyer that featured a photo of the late Sheriff Earl “Moose” Butler alongside a quote attributed to him: “Johnathan Morgan has what it takes to be sheriff of Cumberland County.”
Butler died in 2022.
Wright publicly condemned the flyer to news outlets, telling The Fayetteville Observer the claims in the flyer were “falsehoods.” He argued that if Butler had felt that way about Morgan, he would not have endorsed Wright to succeed him.
Wright described his relationship with Butler as akin to a father and son.
He also told WFNC radio host Gilbert Baez, “[Morgan] disrespected that man. You cannot get any lower than that.”
In a Feb. 17 interview with CityView, Morgan defended the quote, saying it came from a “second party” who was “really, really, really close friends with Sheriff Butler.”
“He wouldn’t tell a falsehood,” Morgan said.
He also emphasized that he did not view the statement as an endorsement: “It’s just quoting what [Butler said].”
Morgan told CityView he could not recall exactly when Butler made the remark but believed it happened at one of Butler’s golf tournaments.
He added that Wright had previously mentioned hearing Butler say something similar. “It’s been mentioned several times since then, and it’s been mentioned from the former sheriff Wright,” Morgan said. “It’s not the first time he’s heard it either.”
Neither Perez nor Bailer responded to requests for comment Tuesday night.
Familiar Opponent Awaits in November
McDuffie will face Republican LaRue Windham, a former sheriff’s deputy who has sought the office multiple times—applying for the appointment in 2016 and running in 2018 and 2022.
Windham lost to Wright in 2022 by a 20‑point margin.
Windham worked for the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office from 1988 to 2008, when he was fired during an investigation into allegations that he falsified timesheets. The district attorney closed the case in 2011 without filing charges. Windham has long maintained he was unjustly terminated.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Windham later worked as a correctional training specialist for the North Carolina Department of Public Safety from 2011 to 2023 and served as a probation and parole officer from 2019 until retiring in 2023.
Windham posted a selfie Tuesday night showing his “I Voted” sticker and wrote on Facebook, “RED WAVE BRING IT ON,” “Let’s landslide this in November,” and “Time for a change, for the better.”
Government reporter Rachel Heimann Mercader can be reached at rheimann@cityviewnc.com or 910-988-8045.
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