North Carolina › Harnett County › Harnett County Sheriff
2 candidates are tracked for Harnett County Sheriff on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Reggie Watson and Aaron Meredith. Candidate information follows official Harnett County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Open seat: Sheriff Wayne Coats is retiring. Democrat Reggie Watson and Republican Aaron Meredith meet on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the NCSBE certified list and Sandhills News coverage of a July 16, 2026 candidate forum.
Reggie Watson is a retired law enforcement officer with nearly 50 years of combined military and civilian service, including more than 21 years as an Army Military Police officer, a Town of Spring Lake police officer, an NC DMV enforcement officer and instructor, an NC State Trooper, and a security forces officer at Womack Army Medical Center, per his campaign site. He retired for the third time in May 2025 and previously ran for sheriff in 2022, per his campaign site.
2026 priorities (per the campaign site)
- Support deputies with proper training and fair pay
- Build transparency and accountability into department leadership
- Provide professional, respectful policing to residents
Source: candidate campaign site.
Campaign site →
Aaron Meredith has spent 28 years with the Harnett County Sheriff's Office and currently oversees the county's detention center, per Sandhills News. His campaign centers on continuing that career of service to Harnett County residents, per his campaign site.
2026 priorities (per the campaign site)
- Pair traditional values with new ideas for running the department
- Stay directly connected to the community he has served for 28 years
Source: candidate campaign site.
Campaign site →
