Donnie Harrison is an American retired law enforcement officer who served as the Sheriff of

Wake County, North Carolina Wake County is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In the 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's most-populous county. From July 2005 to July 2006, Wake County was the 9th-fastest growing county in the U ...

from 2002 to 2018. Prior to taking the position, he was for 26 years a law enforcement officer in Wake County with the

North Carolina Highway Patrol The North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) is the highway patrol agency for North Carolina which has no per-se "state police" agency. The Patrol has jurisdiction anywhere in the state except for federal or military installations and on the ...

. From 1988 to 1992, he was also the Chief of Security for Lieutenant Governor

James Carson Gardner James Carson Gardner (born April 8, 1933) is an American businessman and politician who served as a U.S. Representative (1967–1969) and as the 30th Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina (1989–1993). Early life Gardner was born in Rocky Mo ...

Elections

Harrison's first campaign for Wake County sheriff in 1998 against long-time incumbent John Baker was unsuccessful. Baker, nicknamed "Big John," was an iconic Raleigh political figure and former defensive lineman in the NFL. Baker was first elected sheriff in 1978, becoming the first Black sheriff in North Carolina since the Reconstruction era. Harrison sought a rematch in 2002 and won. The two men faced off again for a third time in 2006 which resulted in Harrison winning convincingly. Harrison was the first certified law enforcement officer to be elected Sheriff in Wake County. In 2008, Harrison helped dedicate the Wake County Public Safety Center in honor of Baker who had died in 2007. In 2018, Harrison ran for reelection for a fifth time but was defeated by Gerald Mauroka Baker during the

2018 midterm elections The 2018 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. These midterm elections occurred during Republican Donald Trump's term. Democrats made a net gain of 41 seats in the United States House of Representatives, gaining a majo ...

. In 2022 Harrison sought the Republican nomination to run again for the office of sheriff. He won the May 17 Republican primary, defeating two other candidates.

Political involvement

Harrison is a self-described conservative

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

. He has weighed in on multiple elections during his tenure as Sheriff, including an endorsement of

Pat McCrory Patrick Lloyd McCrory (born October 17, 1956) is an American businessman, politician and radio host who served as the 74th governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 53rd Mayor ...

's 2008 gubernatorial campaign, and Senator

Richard Burr Richard Mauze Burr (born November 30, 1955) is an American businessman and politician who is the senior United States senator from North Carolina, serving since 2005. A member of the Republican Party, Burr was previously a member of the United S ...

in 2010. In November 2011, Harrison publicly endorsed Wake County Commissioner

Tony Gurley Tony Gurley (born April 3, 1956) is an American businessman and political figure from North Carolina, currently serving as chief operating officer for the Office of State Budget and Management. He served on the Wake County Board of Commissioners ...

for

Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina The lieutenant governor of North Carolina is the second-highest elected official in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is the only elected official to have powers in both the legislative and executive branches of state government. A member o ...

, and former U.S. Attorney

George Holding George Edward Bell Holding (born April 17, 1968) is an American politician, lawyer, and former federal prosecutor who is a former United States Representative for North Carolina's 2nd congressional district from 2017 to 2021. He previously repr ...

for

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

.Harrison endorses Gurley for Lt. Gov.
/ref> In his 2010 re-election campaign Harrison won the endorsement of the

Muslim American Public Affairs Council The Muslim American Public Affairs Council (MAPAC) is an American-Muslim political and public advocacy group headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. MAPAC began having annual fundraisers in 2003. The mission of MAPAC is two-fold. First, it is ...

Personal life

Donnie Harrison grew up in Bear Grass, North Carolina and currently lives in Garner, NC. He is a member of Holland United Methodist church. He has two daughters, one granddaughter and one grandson. Harrison's wife, Gail, died of

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, malign ...

August 5, 2001, 10 days before the couple's 36th wedding anniversary.

References

Harrison's good jobABC local: Hosted debate

External links

Personal website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison, Donnie Living people Sheriffs of Wake County, North Carolina People from Martin County, North Carolina 1946 births People from Garner, North Carolina