N.C. State Board of Elections overrules local board in candidate challenge
The North Carolina State Board of Elections voted 3-2 Tuesday to overrule the Wilson County Board of Elections in favor of a Republican candidate seeking to run for sheriff.
Bobby Knight, a senior deputy in the Nash County Sheriff’s Office, maintained he has been a registered Republican since 2012. But in December, when he says he tried to update his address through the state Division of Motor Vehicles website, he claims he accidentally changed his party affiliation.
State law prohibits a person from filing as a candidate in a party primary unless that person has been affiliated with that party for at least 90 days.
Wilson County sheriff candidates Brandon Barbrey, a Democrat, and Kevin Raper, a Republican, each filed candidate challenges arguing that the change made Knight ineligible to run for the office as either a Democrat or Republican.
https://ncnewsline.com/2026/01/20/n-c-state-board-of-elections-overrules-local-board-in-candidate-challenge/