Jason L. Butler won the Republican primary for Scotland County Sheriff on Tuesday, beating three other candidates, according to unofficial results from the N.C. State Board of Elections.

Butler won 51.76% of the vote—more than enough to avoid a runoff with second-place finisher Chris Strickland, who got 34.2%. 

Ronnie Ivey secured 12.49% of the vote, and David Monte got 1.55%. 

“I really did think it was going to be closer,” Butler told the Border Belt Independent on Wednesday. “I know that Strickland had worked very hard and had a lot of support.”

Butler has 27 years of law enforcement experience and currently serves as captain at the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office.

At a candidate forum last month, Butler said he wants to expand the narcotics division, improve the community’s relationship with deputies, and ask county leaders for more money to increase deputies’ salaries and address overcrowding at the Scotland County Detention Center.

Butler will face Roger Alford, a Democrat who works as a major with the sheriff’s office, in November.

“We’ve been friends a long time,” Butler said. “We both have the same goals; it’s just how we get to them is a little different. Either way it goes, everybody will be in good hands come November.”

Current Sheriff Ralph Kersey, a Republican, did not run for a fourth term. 

N.C. House Seat

Ralph Carter won the Republican primary for the N.C. House District 48 seat. 

Carter, an orthopedic surgeon in Laurinburg, won 65.73% of the vote, while Kirk Lowery won 34.27%, unofficial results show.  

“I’m really just honored that the people I’ve taken care of all these years and their families turned out to vote for me,” Carter told the Border Belt Independent on Wednesday.

Carter’s win sets up a November rematch with Garland Pierce, a Democrat who has held the state House seat representing Hoke and Scotland counties for more than 20 years. 

Pierce beat Carter in 2024 by fewer than 1,400 votes. Pierce won in Hoke but lost in Scotland, where many voters have shifted their support to Republican candidates. 

The North Carolina Republican Party hopes to flip the seat this year to help secure a supermajority in the state House, Matt Mercer, communications director for the state GOP, previously told the Border Belt Independent.

“It’s still a big hill to climb,” Carter said. “I need to spend a good hunk of time face-to-face, one-on-one, with voters. If I can’t meet them on their front porch or at some event, I need to get them on the telephone and explain why it’s important that we make a change in representation.”

Results

Here are the results for Scotland County’s 2026 primaries.

Jump to a race:

U.S. Senate: Republican Primary

U.S. Senate: Democratic Primary

U.S. House District 8: Democratic Primary

N.C. House District 48

Court of Appeals 1

Court of Appeals 3

Scotland Board of Commissioners, Spring Hill District

Voters will select two candidates.

Scotland County Board of Education, Stewartsville District Democratic Primary

Voters will select two candidates.

Scotland County Board of Education, Stewartsville District Republican Primary

Voters will select two candidates.

Scotland County Sheriff Republican Primary

Scotland County Clerk of Superior Court Democratic Primary

District Attorney, District 21

Correction: An earlier version of this piece said that Jason L. Butler won the Republican primary for sheriff in Bladen County. This has been corrected to reflect that he won the Republican primary for Scotland County sheriff.