Johnny Hawkins

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Johnny Hawkins

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 3, 2026

Education

High school

Hugh M. Cummings High School

Associates

Alamance Community College, 1993

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

1985 - 1990

Personal

Profession

Consultant

Contact

Campaign website

Johnny Hawkins (Democratic Party) ran for election for Durham County Sheriff in North Carolina. Hawkins lost in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.

Hawkins completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Johnny Hawkins served in the U.S. Army from 1985 to 1990. He earned a high school diploma from Hugh M. Cummings High School and an associate degree from Alamance Community College in 1993. Hawkins' career experience includes working as a consultant.

Elections

2026

See also: Municipal elections in Durham County, North Carolina (2026)

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for Durham County Sheriff

Incumbent Clarence Birkhead (D) is running in the general election for Durham County Sheriff on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Clarence Birkhead (D)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Democratic primary for Durham County Sheriff

Incumbent Clarence Birkhead (D) defeated Johnny Hawkins (D) in the Democratic primary for Durham County Sheriff on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Clarence Birkhead	85.8	49,649
		Johnny Hawkins	14.2	8,202

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source	Total votes: 57,851
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Johnny Hawkins completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hawkins' responses.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I bring nearly 38 years of leadership across military service, law enforcement, corrections, detention operations and community based security. My work and academic experiences include serving as a Correctional Warden - (Retired), Director of Special Operations and Intelligence NC Department of Public Safety, Chief of Detention Services - Durham County Sheriffs Office, Detention Center Administrator - Vance County Sheriffs Office, Interim Director Safety and Security, and Security Management Executive in both public and private sectors. I have a degree in Criminal Justice and completed multiple state certification and Leadership courses. My experiences include managing large facilities with an employee base of 450 employees and a budget of 54 million dollars, supervising certified and civilian personnel, overseeing high-risk operations, and implementing policy reforms consistent with General Statutes. Beyond my formal roles, I have worked directly with youth, families, faith leaders, business owners, chambers of commerce, and schools. I have a blend of operational leadership and community engagement which prepares me to lead the Durham County Sheriff’s Office with improved safety, systems and services. My leadership will restore hope, refine broken systems, provide support to every neighborhood through partnership, prevention, and accountability. The Durham citizens deserve leadership with integrity, experience, principled and connected to the people it serves.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• My desire and reason for seeking the office of Sheriff of Durham County is rooted in being a public servant which serves the best interest of all of Durham. After living in Durham for 26 years and seeing the lack of hope and trust our citizens have in most leaders and systems, my Purpose is to restore and improve community safety initiatives by following the constitution and enforcing the law. My leadership will restore hope, refine broken systems, provide support to every neighborhood through partnership, prevention, and accountability.
• A core vision is to lead a Sheriff’s Office that is proactive, collaborative, transparent, accountable, ethical, firm, fair and committed to public safety and security. This means we will protect constitutional rights while ensuring public safety, dignity and trust. I plan to have an office that balances enforcement with presence, authority with service, civil responsibility, detention management, rehabilitation, fiscal responsibility, community engagement, co-responder initiatives, partnership and collaboration with Durham PD Leadership, DA’s Office, City/County Leadership, Mental Health, Substance Abuse Clinicians, Housing Authority, University/School Administrators and Public Safety Leaders.
• Stabilize staffing and morale, and Organizational Culture of the Sheriff’s Office; Focus on recruitment, retention, training, and wellness for deputies, detention officers and civilians. Conduct listening sessions with staff and create transparent systems of accountability and recognition. This will also include mentorship programs while establishing clear leadership development tracks. Strengthen detention operations and detainee care, with emphasis on mental health screening, safety and security, reduction in contraband, re-evaluate work release and programs, increase academic opportunities for detainees, while ensuring lawful treatment of detainees. Community-Focused Crime Reduction & Prevention; Enhance trust and presence.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The constitution aided by data driven analysis to identify patterns coupled with targeted enforcement against repeat violent offenders, coordinated with prosecutors and law enforcement partners. This includes probation and warrant operations that are precise and constitutional. I would be proactive and collaborate with federal, state and local partners, incorporate youth intervention, mentorship, and conflict mediation programs. Also, increasing public education regarding safe storage and accountability. The initiation of opportunities to reduce firearms related incidents require being proactive. Increasing visibility of deputy patrols and community engagement with neighborhoods and businesses. The need to cultivate community intelligence.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

N/A

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Hawkins' campaign website stated the following:

Core Campaign Priorities

1. Integrity, Staffing, and Professional Culture

• Restore morale and accountability within the Sheriff’s Office
• Address staffing shortages through recruitment, retention, and leadership development

2. Violence Reduction, Prevention & Victim Protection

• Target gun violence, gangs, youth crime, property theft, and drug distribution
• Protect schools, seniors, and displaced citizens

3. Treatment, Supervision, and Reentry for Detainees

• Ensure safe, humane, and constitutionally sound detention operations
• Expand access to treatment and structured supervision

4. Partnership-Based Public Safety

• Partner with Durham Police Department leadership, Emergency Services, County Commissioners, and public safety practitioners serving our academic communities
• Collaborate with mental health, housing, faith, and community partners

— Johnny Hawkins' campaign website (February 25, 2026)

Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

See also

2026 Elections

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External links

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Candidate

Durham County Sheriff

Website