Phil Byrd Wins GOP Primary, Will Challenge Sheriff Danny Rogers in November

Phil Byrd, a 30-year veteran of the Guilford County Sheriff's Office who retired as captain in 2014, captured the Republican nomination for sheriff on March 3, pulling 17,003 votes, or 68.6 percent, against Billy Queen's 7,797, to set up a November rematch against incumbent Democrat Danny Rogers.

It is the second consecutive general election matchup between the two men. Rogers defeated Byrd in 2022, 56 percent to 44 percent. This time, the Democratic primary was canceled outright, and Rogers advanced to November without appearing on the ballot.

Byrd framed his candidacy in pointed terms. "I wouldn't be running if we had a good sheriff," he told The Assembly. "I'm not running to have my name on a badge. I'm running because I think the citizens of Guilford County deserve a lot more than what we got. And I know that the staff of the sheriff's office deserve a rock-solid Sheriff to provide the leadership and professionalism they deserve."

During his three decades at the Guilford County Sheriff's Office, Byrd served as a detention officer, patrol officer, narcotics officer, criminal investigator, and commander of several divisions. He has emphasized responsible leadership, improving employee morale, and maintaining professional standards as his core campaign themes. On the question of his credentials versus federal law enforcement, Byrd was direct: "The ATF is the ATF, but the Guilford County Sheriff's Department is a full-service law agency."

Byrd's 2026 margin over Queen was considerably wider than in 2022, when he won a six-candidate Republican primary with 40.4 percent to Queen's 32.6 percent. The campaign contrast between the two men was also notable. Byrd's website carried no overtly partisan imagery and his campaign biography did not identify him as a Republican. Queen's materials featured a Guilford County Sheriff's badge draped in the American flag with a GOP elephant at its center. The Assembly reached out to Queen for comment; he had not responded as of that report.

The decidedly nonpartisan presentation by Byrd may reflect the current political climate in Guilford County. In last year's Greensboro City Council elections, Zack Matheny, the council's only Republican, lost to first-time candidate April Parker, while former Republican mayor Robbie Perkins was defeated in his bid to return to office by Democrat Marikay Abuzuaiter. Both Matheny and Perkins said they believed their close association with the national Republican Party and President Donald Trump hurt their campaigns.

Statewide, North Carolina election officials reported strong turnout on March 3. State Board of Elections Executive Director Sam Hayes said a precinct in Warren County was damaged by fire the day before the primary, but a mobile voting unit was dispatched and voting continued without interruption. Hayes also noted that tabulation software updates in Cumberland County could cause minor delays in results, calling it an isolated issue.

The November general election will be the second time Guilford County voters choose between Byrd and Rogers, with Byrd now arriving with a broader primary mandate and a sharper message about leadership inside the Sheriff's Office.