Sheriff Johnathan Morgan hand-delivered letters to the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners on Monday to formally notify the board that he is retiring—effective December 1 when a new sheriff will take office.
Morgan started his law enforcement career with the Fayetteville Police Department in 1997 and joined the Sheriff’s Office in 1998.
He worked his way up through the years until he became a major and commander of the department’s Operations Division. This division has 10 of the agency’s law enforcement functions, such as road patrol, the special response team, the canine unit, community policing, and the bomb squad.
In August 2025, after Sheriff Ennis Wright retired, commissioners unanimously appointed Morgan to be the new sheriff and complete the remainder of Wright’s term.
To keep the seat, Morgan had to win the 2026 election. He placed second in the Democratic primary in March, as Troy McDuffie won the Democratic nomination.
McDuffie faces Republican LaRue Windham in November’s general election.
Morgan’s salary has been $199,875. He oversees an agency with a budget that includes $36.2 million for the Sheriff’s Office and $22.4 million for the detention center. The county budget for fiscal year 2027, which started July 1, also included a new salary structure designed to help recruit and retain deputies.
Senior reporter Paul Woolverton can be reached at pwoolverton@cityviewnc.com
