North Carolina › Buncombe County › Buncombe County Sheriff
2 candidates are tracked for Buncombe County Sheriff on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Quentin Miller and Gary Parris. Candidate information follows official Buncombe County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Gary Parris won the March 3 Republican contest with 75 percent, per the state results archive.
Quentin Miller has been Buncombe County's sheriff since December 2018, the county's first African-American sheriff, and is seeking a third term, per the sheriff's office site. He served 11 years as a U.S. Army military police officer and was an original member of the Asheville Police Department's community policing unit.
2026 priorities
- 21st century policing, per the campaign site
- Expanding the jail's medication-assisted treatment program, per the campaign site
- Deputy pay tied to training, per the campaign site
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-09-01.
Campaign site →
Gary Parris is a retired Navy senior chief with 22 years in cryptology and naval intelligence, a former Buncombe County deputy sheriff, and a criminal justice educator with a master's in strategic intelligence and an MPA, per his campaign site and Mountain Xpress.
2026 priorities
- Rebuilding staffing and retention, per the campaign site
- A fully staffed jail, per the campaign site
- Countywide patrol coverage and a citizens academy, per the campaign site
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-09-01.
Campaign site →
