Government of Wake County, North Carolina
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| Seat: Raleigh |
| Population (2020): 1,129,410 |
| County Commissioners: 7 |
| County Website: Official website |
The county government of Wake County is located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The county was established in 1771 and covers a total of 835 square miles in central North Carolina.[1][2]
Elections
2026
Wake County, North Carolina, is holding general elections for clerk of superior court, district attorney, sheriff, county commission, soil and water district board, district court judges, and superior court judges on November 3, 2026. A primary is scheduled for March 3, 2026. A primary runoff will be held on May 12, 2026, if necessary. The filing deadline for this election was December 19, 2025, and the filing deadline for the soil and water conservation district is July 6, 2026.
2024
Wake County, North Carolina, held general elections for register of deeds, board of commissioners, soil and water conservation district, districts court judges, and superior court judges on November 5, 2024. A primary was scheduled for March 5, 2024. The filing deadline for the primary was December 15, 2023, and the filing deadline for the soil and water conservation district was July 5, 2024.
2022
Wake County, North Carolina, held general elections for district attorney, sheriff, county commissioners, soil and water district board, clerk of superior court, district court judges, and superior court judge on November 8, 2022. A primary was held on May 17, 2022. A primary runoff was scheduled for July 26, 2022. The filing deadline for this election was March 4, 2022.
2020
Wake County, North Carolina, held general elections for county commissioner districts 1 through 7, register of deeds, and soil and water conservation district supervisor on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for March 3, 2020. The filing deadline for partisan candidates in this election was December 20, 2019. The filing deadline for independent and unaffiliated general election candidates was July 6, 2020.
2018
Wake County, North Carolina, held general elections for county commissioner, clerk of superior court, district attorney, county sheriff, and soil & water conservation district supervisor on November 6, 2018. If a race had multiple candidates for a party nomination, a primary was held on May 8, 2018.
Elected officials
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If any officeholder information below is no longer accurate, please contact us with any updates. |
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County commissioners
- See also: County commission
The county commission functions as the county's primary legislative and policy-making body. County commissioners are tasked with approving the annual budget and setting the property tax rate, enacting ordinances, and regulating zoning and land use. Under House Bill 99, the Wake County Board of Commissioners was expanded from seven to nine members. Seven commissioners are elected from established districts, and two are elected at large. Beginning with the 2026 election, the two at-large seats will be filled countywide, with the top vote-getter receiving a four-year term and the second-place finisher receiving a two-year term; thereafter, both seats will carry four-year terms. All seven district commissioners continue to serve under existing terms.[3]
The table below provides information on each of the county commissioners:[4]
| Office | Name | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|
| Wake County Board of Commissioners District 1 | Donald Mial | December 5, 2022 |
| Wake County Board of Commissioners District 2 | Safiyah Jackson | 2025 |
| Wake County Board of Commissioners District 3 | Cheryl Stallings | December 5, 2022 |
| Wake County Board of Commissioners District 4 | Susan Evans | 2018 |
| Wake County Board of Commissioners District 5 | Tara Waters | January 2, 2024 |
| Wake County Board of Commissioners District 6 | Shinica Thomas | December 7, 2020 |
| Wake County Board of Commissioners District 7 | Vickie Adamson | 2018 |
The widget below automatically displays information about their meetings. The topic list contains a sampling of keywords that Voterheads, a local government monitoring service, found in each meeting agenda. Click the meeting link to see more info and the full agenda:
Other elected officials
Wake County residents also elect the following public officials:[4]
| Office | Name | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|
| Wake County Clerk of the Superior Court | Claudia Croom | January 3, 2026 |
| Wake County Register of Deeds | Tammy Brunner | December 7, 2020 |
| Wake County Sheriff | Willie Rowe | December 5, 2022 |
Special districts
- See also: Special districts
Special districts are a form of local government that exist to fulfill a specific purpose within a certain geographic area. This region can be as large as a county or smaller than a city block. Special districts have the power to tax their local residents in order to fund operational expenditures. Although a special district may be formed for any stated purpose, the most common examples include library, hospital, transportation, airport, utility, conservation, sanitation, fire control, and flood control districts.
Wake Soil & Water Conservation District
Wake County residents elect three of five board members of the Wake Soil & Water Conservation District. The other two board members are appointed. The Wake Soil & Water Conservation District is an agency designed to assist landowners in soil, water, and wildlife management through technical assistance and educational programs. Elected board members serve staggered four-year terms and are selected through nonpartisan elections.[4][5]
The table below provides information on the elected Wake Soil & Water Conservation District board members:[4]
| Office | Name | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|
| Wake Soil and Water Conservation District | Beth Pugh Farrell | December 5, 2022 |
| Wake Soil and Water Conservation District | Jenna Wadsworth | 2010 |
| Wake Soil and Water Conservation District | Reese Wamsley | December 2, 2024 |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Wake County North Carolina. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Wake County, North Carolina | North Carolina | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ NCpedia, "Wake County," accessed October 7, 2017
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "Wake County, North Carolina," accessed October 7, 2017
- ↑ North State Journal, "Bill updating elections of Wake County Commissioners becomes law," June 14, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Wake County Government, "Wake County Directory of Public Officials," August 29, 2017
- ↑ Wake County Government, "Wake Soil and Water Conservation District," accessed October 7, 2017
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