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FOREST CITY, N.C. — Sheriff Aaron Ellenburg officially launched his 2026 re-election campaign Thursday night at the monthly meeting of the Rutherford County Republican Party, outlining a sweeping list of accomplishments and future goals during a detailed presentation attended by GOP faithful — and capped off with a surprise visit from the department’s beloved therapy dog, Rookie.
The meeting set the stage for what’s shaping up to be a contentious Republican primary for sheriff. Ellenburg, elected in 2022, used the meeting to tout falling crime rates, jail improvements, and the expansion of community programs, all while reaffirming his commitment to what he called “real progress” in Rutherford County.
His challenger, former sheriff’s deputy Jamie Dunn, announced his candidacy on social media in early July, vowing to bring “real consequences” to drug dealers and declaring, “Your clock is ticking.” Dunn was fired in October 2020 after striking a restrained inmate — an incident he has publicly addressed and says is fully documented online. Despite the controversy, Dunn has garnered early attention for his blunt, hard-charging message.
The Republican primary will take place on March 3, 2026, ahead of the general election in November. Official filings with the Board of Elections are not due until December 2025.
Why it matters: As law enforcement and criminal justice remain top concerns for voters, the Republican primary for sheriff is likely to become one of the most closely watched races in Rutherford County. Ellenburg’s pitch focuses on reform and results, while Dunn is positioning himself as a no-compromise enforcer. The race is already drawing sharp contrasts in style, leadership, and public safety strategy.
The announcement came as attendees wrapped up an “arts and crafts” exercise — carefully applying branded stickers to more than 1,000 water bottles the GOP plans to hand out at Forest City’s August car show.
“I just wanted to make a little presentation tonight in front of each and every one of y’all to show the accomplishments that we’ve been able to do,” Ellenburg said. “When I first ran for sheriff, a lot of people didn’t know who I was.”
Here are top ten takeaways that I saw:
1. Crime is trending down — and Ellenburg says it’s no accident.
Murders, robberies, and assaults are all down, according to internal crime statistics the sheriff shared. “We had people dying in our streets,” Ellenburg said. “We came in and hit it hard.” Drug seizures in Rutherford County have reached record highs, including 71,000 pills taken off the street in April 2025 alone.
2. District Attorney Ted Bell confirmed overdose deaths are also down.
“There’s been a dramatic decrease in overdose deaths in Rutherford County over the last year or so,” Bell said. “We can’t attribute it to just one thing, but I can tell you one of the biggest reasons for that — and that’s the sheriff and his people.”
Bell described a case where a single pill split between three users led to three overdoses. “Getting those pills off the street is what’s caused the reduction,” he said.
3. Jail reforms include major renovations, new oversight, and more mental health care.
Ellenburg described a $10 million renovation effort at the jail, including upgraded locks, new flooring, in-person mental health care, electronic mail scanning, and a classification system to separate high-risk inmates. “When I took over, the women’s area had black mold,” he said, showing before-and-after photos. “That’s years and years of neglect. I confronted it and dealt with it.”
4. Rookie the therapy dog stole the show — and is changing lives.
The crowd applauded when Rookie joined the discussion. Ellenburg told the story of how the dog comforted a 6-year-old sexual assault victim who had refused to speak — until Rookie sat beside her. “She never hushed after that,” Ellenburg said. Bell added: “We’re working to get court approval for Rookie to be on the stand with her. That dog may be the difference between justice and a predator going free.”
5. FLOCK cameras are now tracking crime across state lines.
Rutherford County will soon get 11 license plate reader cameras from Flock Safety that can instantly flag stolen vehicles or suspects. “We actually had a vehicle from here caught at the border,” Ellenburg said. “This is about safety and smart policing.”
6. A new volunteer force will launch this fall.
Starting in September, Ellenburg’s office will begin accepting applications for a volunteer corps. Participants will wear special uniforms and help with scanning at the courthouse, fingerprinting, funeral escorts, and traffic at public events. “It frees up my officers to handle the real crimes,” the sheriff explained.
7. Convictions are up — and so are sentences.
Recent cases have resulted in long prison sentences for traffickers, including multiple 15- to 21-year terms. Bell highlighted one case of a 20-year-old woman, previously without a record, who was sent to prison for five years after failing out of rehab. “She had multiple chances,” he said.
8. Inmate safety and suicide prevention are top priorities.
New RFID tracking devices now verify that jail officers conduct safety checks every 15 minutes, as required by state law. “We checked — our rounds were good,” Ellenburg said of a recent incident on Wednesday night. “But if they weren’t, we could be fined or sued.”
9. The sheriff’s office is short-staffed, but making do.
“We’ve got seven officers covering 566 square miles on a good day,” Ellenburg said. That doesn’t include vacations, sick days, or training. “We shouldn’t have to wait 40 minutes for an ambulance to come from Cleveland County.”
10. The sheriff says he’s here to change lives, not just make arrests.
“Yeah, I’m going to put people in jail,” Ellenburg said. “But I’m also here to change lives.” He pointed to the jail’s programs and family events as part of a larger effort to build empathy and encourage recovery. “They may be down on their luck, but they’re still somebody’s loved one.”
In closing, Ellenburg emphasized transparency, reform, and readiness to serve another term. “I’ve taken a beating over some of this, but I wanted y’all to know because y’all are my family,” he said. “This community has been good to me. And this is the way I give back.”
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