This year’s General Election marks the first partisan race for Alamance County district attorney since 2014, when then-Democratic incumbent D.A. Pat Nadolski defeated Republican challenger Rob Sharpe by a margin of 52.67 percent to 47.33 in a rematch of a previously razor-thin race in 2010 in which Nadolski had defeated Sharpe by six votes.
The current incumbent D.A., Sean Boone, subsequently defeated Nadolski – who had changed his party affiliation to Republican following the 2014 election – in the Republican primary in 2018. Boone had no Democratic opponent that fall and ran unopposed for a second term in 2022; he is seeking reelection to a third term.
Boone faces Democratic challenger Scott Wells Drorbaugh, an attorney with Village Law Group in Chapel Hill, specializing in practice areas such as: parental rights; adoption, assisted reproduction, and surrogacy for LGBTQ+ families; contracts that establish the legal parameters for donations of sperm, eggs, embryos, and other methods of assisted reproduction; and estate planning, according to the firm.
Boone began his career an assistant D.A. under Nadolski’s predecessor, Rob Johnson, and later worked under Nadolski before entering private practice in 2015 with a family law firm in Gibsonville.
The candidates in this year’s race for D.A. are diametrically opposed in their philosophies of the criminal justice system, though they do agree on practical matters such as the need for additional staffing to manage the caseload.
The Alamance News posed 26 questions to both candidates on a variety of issues that he may confront as the county’s top prosecutor. The questionnaire touched on everything from whether all defendants are treated equally, regardless of race, to the potential impact that Iryna’s Law could have on caseloads in the D.A.’s office.
Structural racism
Where the candidates’ views of the criminal justice system differ the most was on whether structural racism – i.e., the belief that the scales are imbalanced and ultimately have a disproportionately adverse effect on black and Hispanic defendants – is an issue within Alamance County’s court system.
Boone believes that the county’s court system works to ensure that all defendants are treated impartially.
“Alamance County has been blessed with leaders both on the bench and with the bar who conscientiously work to ensure our court system works for everyone, regardless of race,” the incumbent D.A. says. “As a prosecutor I have always followed this principle. Thus, our primary consideration in any case is strength of the evidence.”
Drorbaugh says, “Structural racism is prevalent through the entire criminal justice system not just Alamance County, and deserves an honest, data-driven examination rather than assumptions or political rhetoric. As D.A., I would establish consistent policies, promote transparency, and address any unjustified disparities identified. Every person deserves equal treatment under the law.”
An offshoot of the belief that structural racism formed the underpinning of the nation’s criminal justice system has prompted some D.A.s to decline to prosecute low-level offenses, such as misdemeanor possession of marijuana, larceny, and traffic infractions.
Asked whether he would assign a lower priority to marijuana and other substances in deciding which drug cases to prosecute, Boone says existing state laws provide sufficient leniency.
“I believe any policy of blanket offense-based amnesty only rewards bad conduct and encourages escalation,” the incumbent Republican D.A. says. “This type of philosophy would be particularly bad for North Carolina, where an offender’s prior criminal record is a fundamental part of the sentencing process.”
The Democratic challenger also opposes blanket amnesty policies for entire categories of offenses but says prosecutorial discretion is essential due to finite resources within the D.A.’s office.
“I would exercise prosecutorial discretion in minor marijuana possession cases when appropriate, recognizing that resources are finite and must be prioritized,” Drorbaugh says. “For more dangerous substances, I would focus on holding traffickers and repeat dealers accountable while supporting treatment and recovery opportunities for individuals struggling with addiction.”
Other dimensions of case management
One area of agreement between the candidates, however, is whether the D.A.’s office needs additional staff.
Boone says that three additional assistant D.A.s are needed to manage the county’s caseload and handle the added workload created by changes such as the implementation of the state’s online case management system, e-Courts, which the Alamance County court system launched in 2024.
“Things like rapidly growing population, e-courts implementation, and the sharp increase in investigative data reviews (e.g., body cams, cell phone extractions) have all impacted judicial efficiency,” Boone tells the newspaper.
Drorbaugh says Alamance County needs one or two more assistant D.A.s.
“I believe the current office has opportunities to improve its management and use of existing resources,” Drorbaugh adds.
Impact of Iryna’s Law
Named for Iryna Zarutska, who was fatally stabbed on a light rail train in Charlotte in August 2025, Iryna’s Law took effect on December 1, 2025 and imposed more rigorous conditions for the pretrial release of violent offenders; eliminated cashless bail; and outlined a whole raft of procedures for ordering mental health evaluations for certain defendants.
Asked what he would do to ensure that defendants with underlying mental health issues receive psychiatric evaluations required by Iryna’s Law, Boone says, “Although pretrial custody status is determined by the Court, our office has an important role in providing the court any information we receive concerning a defendant’s mental state. We will continue to inform the court in a timely manner of such information, and advocate for an appropriate secure pretrial detention.”
Drorbaugh would take the same approach as the incumbent to ensure compliance with mental health requirements under Iryna’s Law. “I would work closely with judges, law enforcement, mental health providers, and detention officials to ensure defendants receive required psychiatric evaluations and treatment…I would also prioritize identifying repeat violent offenders, presenting relevant criminal histories and risk factors to the court, and advocating for pretrial conditions.”
Jail overcrowding
Some observers have speculated that Iryna’s Law could eventually result in jail overcrowding as a result of more defendants being jailed while awaiting trial. The new law permits release only on unsecured and secured bonds, custody releases, and electronic house arrest for defendants charged with: “violent offenses”; felony offenses that would registration as a sex offender if convicted; death by distribution and certain other drug offenses.
Boone believes that the new law could result in overcrowding in the Alamance County jail; Drorbaugh does not.
Boone says that the county’s jail population could be reduced to alleviate existing overcrowding by changing state law.
“The law requires certain misdemeanor sentences be served in the local jail,” the incumbent D.A. explains. “Change it to require housing by the Department of Adult Correction.”
Drorbaugh says that the county’s jail population could be reduced to alleviate overcrowding by “reviewing the jail population to identify individuals charged with minor, nonviolent offenses who may be appropriate for pretrial release, diversion, or treatment programs.”
Like Alamance County’s detention center, the N.C. prison system has struggled with overcrowding and understaffing in recent years, N.C. Secretary of Adult Correction Leslie Cooley Dismukes said at May 27 press conference with Gov. Josh Stein.
Currently, the statewide average vacancy rate for correctional officers hovers around 30 percent, though certain prisons have reported vacancy rates of more than 60 percent for correctional officers, based on news reports published following passage of the state’s biennial budget this summer.
Greatest needs for improvement
The candidates also differ in their views about what areas within the judiciary system/law enforcement need the most improvement.
Boone points to years-long staffing shortages in law enforcement. “We need more good people to go into public safety,” he says. “Law enforcement agencies are struggling to fill positions, and these positions can only go unfilled for so long before impacting the morale and well-being of officers. Law enforcement is an honorable profession with exceptional people. They need more.”
Drorbaugh says transparency and case backlogs are two major areas that need improvement. “Backlogs should be addressed through early case assessment, timely discovery, meaningful plea negotiations, and better coordination among prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement, and the courts. A Citizens Advisory Board could provide an additional avenue for community input and accountability.”
Asked about their three main priorities, the candidates say that public safety is their top.
Boone lists “ensuring court operations keep up with our county’s growth” and “stopping offenders who sell drugs targeted to children” as his second and third priorities, respectively.
Drorbaugh lists “Fair, Effective Justice” and “Transparency, Community Trust” as his second and third priorities, respectively.
Candidate bios appear on page here: https://alamancenews.com/meet-the-candidates-for-alamance-county-district-attorney/and their responses to the newspaper’s issues questionnaire can be found HERE
