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Gastonia, NC (WNN) - On Thursday, January 29th, 2026, the Gaston County Republican Party hosted a structured debate for the candidates running for Gaston County Sheriff.
Current Sheriff Chad Hawkins and his opponent Robbie Waldrop discussed budget management, jail operations, and safety, as well as training and accountability, during their debate, held at Gaston Christian School. No Democrats or independents registered to run for the position. This means the March 3rd Republican primary will determine the county's next sheriff.
Sheriff Chad Hawkins is running for a second term after winning the election in 2022. He became Gaston County's first Republican sheriff in over 40 years. He has 31 years of experience in law enforcement. This includes 10 years as chief of police in Cherryville and six years leading the Belmont Police Department. He holds an associate's degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. He also served on the Lowell City Council for 12 years. For more information about Sheriff Hawkins, click here.
Chad Hawkin's Campaign Sign- January 29th,2026
Lauren Ramsey (WNN)
Robbie Waldrop currently serves as Captain of the 911 Operations Center with the Gaston County Police Department. He has nine years of SWAT team experience and has spent his career working in what he calls "high-stress environments where decisions matter." His campaign focuses on responsible leadership with multi-million-dollar budgets, supporting deputy morale, and strengthening partnerships with local law enforcement to keep communities safe. For more information about Waldrop, click here.
Robbie Waldrop's Campaign Sign- January 29th,2026
Lauren Ramsey (WNN)
During the discussion of budget management, Waldrop held up a stack of checks during his answer. He claims the checks were written by the sheriff's office to Hawkins campaign marketing team in the amount of $2,500 each. Waldrop claims there were "probably nine or 10 checks, totaling between roughly $22,500 and $25,000.
"That's your money that's paying for his re-election that you didn't consent to donate," Waldrop told the crowd, holding up the checks. "I would love for you to go tell that detention officer working in the jail right now, who has three kids, that $20,000 is not a lot of money."
Hawkins responded by saying he does not have a purchasing card at the sheriff's office and that all spending goes through the business services administrator. He mentioned finishing last year $1.1 million under budget.
"Every dollar is reviewed, justified, and approved through a public record," Hawkins said. "I have never had access to any kind of funding."
Waldrop, who runs the county's 911 center with a $6.2 million budget, said he turned in $1.2 million in unspent funds last year. He also said he saved taxpayers $4 million by expanding the police radio system within Gaston County Schools.
Moderator Brett Jensen from WBT News Talk asked both candidates how they would ensure transparency and accountability to the public.
The 2026 Gaston County Sheriff's Debate. January 29th,2026
Lauren Ramsey (WNN)
Hawkins answered, saying he believes it's important to talk to the community and be transparent. However, he says he hears that the sheriff's department is not transparent about many things. He then spoke about deaths in the jail. He says when those deaths occur, they are first reported to the proper channels — the SBI, health officials, and the county manager. He says that he does not run to the media every time there is a death, so that the family of the person who died is not re-victimized by having a family loved one who's in jail, and then they die in jail. He said the SBI is handling the investigation, and he can't release details of their work.
Jensen pointed out that other counties like Mecklenburg announce deaths to the public after notifying families. When pressed again, Hawkins clarified he'd have "absolutely no problem" releasing information to the public after families are told.
Waldrop took a different direction when answering the question. He shared plans to set up a sheriff's advisory board, kind of like a civil service board, to keep things in check. The idea is that this board would offer employees a fair look into discipline or termination choices. Waldrop pointed out, "You don't view oversight as a limitation of your power," responding to some pushback on the concept. He argued that deputies and detention officers shouldn’t feel anxious about their jobs just because they disagree with "the big guy," stressing that such worries can hurt them.
When Jensen asked whether sheriffs could let staff go for what they post on social media, Waldrop assured that the advisory board would help protect reliable employees from being let go for no good reason.
Both candidates agree that the jail situation is number one on the priority list, but they told different stories about what's happening inside.
Waldrop mentioned he's been hearing that detention shifts are working with only about 15 people, which Waldrop says is not fully staffed and is dangerous. He also mentioned that he asked for a tour of the jail back in October and was told they'd get back to him with some dates. However, he never heard from anyone.
"They give tours to the public all the time," Waldrop pointed out. "I just wanted to see it for myself. I was open any day, any time. I even offered to take a vacation day from my job. But I never got a call back."
On the other hand, Hawkins claimed that the jail is fully staffed by what the county provides to the department. He recognized that things like vacation, training, and medical leave can make the number of staff seem lower than it is. Noting that it's an issue that's not controllable.
Both candidates said they are committed to officer training and safety. Waldrop, who has 9 years of experience on the SWAT team, described a hostage situation he handled while serving as a patrol captain. He noted that it is important to know your team’s strengths and be able to make quick decisions when things get tough.
Waldrop also pointed out that recruiting military veterans through programs like Recruit Military could help boost the recruitment process, making the transition to civilian law enforcement smoother for those veterans.
On the other hand, Hawkins noted that the Sheriff's Office is now offering more training than ever before. He talked about rolling out de-escalation training for all sworn staff, as well as crisis intervention programs and training for deputies on how to handle high-risk vehicle stops.
He also mentioned his Office of Professional Standards, which looks into all complaints, whether they come from inside or outside, using the IA Pro Blue Team system. He emphasized that, thanks to his experience leading agencies to get international accreditation, there wouldn't be a learning curve if he were re-elected.
As the debate ended, both candidates took a moment to thank their families, campaign teams, and the community for all the support. Through it all, both candidates were respectful.
Robbie Waldrop and Chad Hawkins speaking after the debate- January 29th,2026
Lauren Ramsey (WNN)
With no Democrats or independents in the race, Republican primary voters can cast their votes on March 3rd. The winner will serve as Gaston County's sheriff for the next four years, responsible for managing a staff of over 300 employees, nearly 700 inmates, and courthouse security operations.
For more information on Gaston County elections, such as how and where to vote, click here.
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