Democrats sweep county commissioner, state house seats
The 2026 Democratic blue tide overwhelmed many local candidates across Alamance County, including several long-time officer-holders.
Based on final, unofficial returns (posted at 9:59 p.m.), Democrats apparently defeated long-time incumbent Republican sheriff Terry Johnson, first elected 24 years ago (although his opponent, Shannon Long, was technically an unaffiliated candidate endorsed by local Democrats); 8-year incumbent district attorney Sean Boone (defeated by attorney and former assistant district attorney Scott Wells Drorbaugh); and all three incumbent county commissioners (two of whom were appointed over the past two years) who were swept out by Democratic challengers Ramona Allen, Sean Ewing, and Kourtney Royster.
Losing their posts were three incumbent Republicans: chairman Kelly Allen, vice-chairman Steve Carter, and Sam Powell. Ramona Allen and Sean Ewing were elected to four-year terms, Royster to the partial, two-year term left vacant by the death of Republican county commissioner John Paisley, Jr., which had been occupied since then by Powell. Ewing won despite the local Democratic Party’s withdrawal of its endorsement of the Mebane city councilman’s campaign.
The new configuration for the board of county commissioners will be one Republican (incumbent Ed Priola), one unaffiliated former Republican (incumbent Pam Thompson), and the three new Democrats. It marks the first Democratic majority in three decades.
Also defeated was 12-year incumbent Republican state representative Dennis Riddell, losing to LeVon Barnes. In one of the closest local races, current Burlington city councilman and former Burlington mayor Ian Baltis appeared to best Republican Ryan Moffitt, seeking his first election as a successor to Rep. Stephen Ross, who didn’t seek re-election. Baltutis appeared to win by 236 votes.
Two of three Democrat-endorsed school board candidates (Stephanie Long Enoch and Samira Khan) won, as did unaffiliated candidate Kyle Ward. They defeated one-term incumbent Dr. Charles Parker (a Republican-endorsed candidate) and Dr. Eric Hall, an unaffiliated candidate who was appointed to a seat for a partial term last year. Dan Ingle did not seek re-election. Ward led the third Democrat-endorsed candidate, Brandy Whitaker, by 55 votes.
State senator Amy Galey, whose senatorial district also includes part of Randolph County, appeared to win her race, ahead of her Democratic challenger, Southey Blanton.
Unopposed candidates won their races: Democrat Doug Green for one superior court judgeship, Republican Craig Turner for another, Republican Bryan Ray for a district court judgeship, and Republican Kristie Culler for Clerk of Court.
