Russell Moody
Robbinsville – Though a handful of absentee and provisional ballots are still to be combed through, one thing is abundantly clear: there will be a new sheriff in Graham County following the November election.
Russell Moody prevailed in the second primary for the Republican nod over incumbent Jerry Crisp, 467-403. Polls closed at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and within 30 minutes, the two candidates knew their fate.
Moody did not answer phone calls or emails prior to or after the election results were announced.
Crisp conveyed his congratulations to Moody when reached by The Graham Star on Tuesday night.
“I didn’t have any issues with him,” Crisp said. “It was a good, clean race.”
Moody carried the Stecoah (86 votes) and West Ward (172) precincts, while Crisp earned the nod in both the East Ward (187) and Tapoco (29) precincts. Moody received 183 and 26 respective votes in East and Tapoco, while Crisp had 53 and 134 in Stecoah and West Ward, respectively.
Crisp said he is not ready to endorse Moody or his opponent in the November General Election, Unaffiliated Brad Hoxit, a retired N.C. Highway Patrol trooper who worked most of his career in Graham County and who Crisp called “a good man.”
No Democrats filed for the sheriff race.
The winner in November will take office on Dec. 5. Crisp will remain sheriff in the meantime, after being appointed mid-term in July 2020 when then-sheriff Joseph Jones resigned.
Crisp indicated that he was considering retirement once he leaves office.
Moody served as Graham County Sheriff between 2006-10. Of note during Moody’s tenure, the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation determined that arson was behind the May 17, 2010 burning of the then-sheriff’s office, which was located on South Main Street.
The blaze led to temporary headquarters being moved to the former Wachovia Bank on Rodney Orr Bypass, where the sheriff’s office still operates to this day.
Absentee-by-mail for the general election will begin Friday, Sept. 9. Early (one-stop) voting gets underway Thursday, Oct. 20, with the general election itself taking place Tuesday, Nov. 8.
The Graham Star plans to hold another candidate forum, though a date has not been finalized.