Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith and Chris Wood, a retired N.C. Highway Patrol officer, are the first two candidates to say they are planning to run for sheriff in 2026.
Formal filing for county offices takes place in December. Here are statements from both candidates.
Dustin Smith
I’m proud to be from Cherokee County. I was raised in Tomotla, graduated from Murphy High School and started my law enforcement career with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office on my 21st birthday.
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Early in my career, I faced a life-threatening situation – someone tried to take my life simply for doing my job. That moment forced me to make a decision: step away from law enforcement or stay the course. I chose to stay, because I firmly believe God placed me in this profession for a greater purpose. That purpose has carried me through every challenge and brought me to where I am today.
Over the years, I’ve served in many roles – patrol deputy, detective, narcotics investigator and assistant chief of police in Murphy. In 2022, I was honored to be elected sheriff of Cherokee County. Since day one, I’ve committed fully to this role – not just as a job, but as a way of life. We’ve made significant progress in strengthening the sheriff’s office, but we’re not done yet.
Accomplishments in our first term:
- Expanded Patrol Division: Adding two new deputies, funded in part by a $250,000 federal grant. While two may sound small, it’s a huge step for a rural county and significantly boosts coverage.
- 24/7 K-9 coverage: We are launching around-the-clock K-9 coverage, improving our ability to detect drugs, locate suspects, and protect the public.
- MAT program at jail: With support from Dogwood Health Trust, we provide addiction recovery services to inmates, with plans to support them post-release.
- Traffic enforcement: We increased citations from 12 in the year before I took office to nearly 300 in our first year – helping catch fugitives and improve road safety.
- New equipment with no county funds: We secured donated or grant-funded equipment including alcohol screening devices, radar units, a speed board and three vehicles.
- Technology upgrades: When courts transitioned to eCourts, we secured 16 donated in-car printers, ensuring we didn’t fall behind.
- Community engagement: We launched “Coffee with a Cop,” hosted our first National Night Out in years and invited citizens to help interview candidates for patrol promotions.
Looking ahead:
- Implement animal control: Partner with county commissioners to establish and enforce a fair animal control ordinance.
- Recruit and retain officers: Work toward sustainable pay and career paths for deputies.
- Launch a mental health co-responder program: Pair law enforcement with mental health professionals to connect individuals with the right care.
- Pursue accreditation: Enhance professionalism, transparency and community trust.
- Seek grant-funded equipment: Responsibly sourcing tools without burdening taxpayers.
- Create a sheriff’s auxiliary unit: Engage the community more deeply in supporting public safety.
We’ve faced real challenges, but I’ve never been more proud of our team – or more committed to Cherokee County. We’ve made real progress – and with your support, we’re just getting started. Thank you for the honor of serving as your sheriff. Let’s keep moving forward – together.
Chris Wood
I was born on April 28, 1970, at Annie Penn Hospital in Reidsville, N,C. My family lived in a small farming community called Sandy Ridge, N.C., in Stokes County. I have one sibling, a sister, Dr. Dana Winn, who lives in Advance, N.C., with her husband, Mike, and two sons, Eli and Peter.
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My father, Donald E. Wood Jr., worked with grandfather and his brother at their business, Wood Brothers Tire Shop. They recapped tires, sold new tires, and operated a car wash and service station. My family also farmed, growing tobacco as a cash crop and basically growing the majority of our food. We had cows, chickens and pigs, which served as the source for our family’s meat. My mother worked in the office for several textile companies in her career, but later ended up being the office manager for N.C. Sen. Phil Berger.
I attended North Stokes High School, where I graduated with honors in 1988. In 1986, I attended the N.C. Governor’s School for Mathematics. After high school, I attended Western Carolina University, where I finished my degree in business administration and management in December 1992. While in college, I worked part time as a medic for Stokes County Emergency Medical Services. I also served my community as a volunteer firefighter with Northeast Stokes Fire & Rescue.
I applied for a position with the N.C. Highway Patrol, and on March 20, 1993, I started in the 90th Basic Highway Patrol School. I graduated on Sept. 3, 1993, and was stationed in Troop D, District 3 – Reidsville.
I led the district in impaired driving arrests each full year that I was there and received recognition from the local Mothers Against Drunk Driving chapter. On May 14, 2002, I was promoted to the rank of sergeant and stationed in Troop E, District 5 – Yadkinville/Mount Airy.
I transferred to Troop E, District 4 – King/Winston-Salem within the year and stayed there as a sergeant until Jan. 7, 2005, when I transferred to Troop G, District 6 – Cherokee/Clay/Macon/Graham/Swain. I was promoted to the rank of first sergeant in 2015 and was stationed in Bryson City, where I oversaw operations in Troop G, District 6.
In November 2019, I was promoted to lieutenant and stationed at Troop H Headquarters in Monroe. This troop oversaw Cleveland, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Union, Anson. Richmond, Hoke and Moore counties. In November 2020, I transferred to Troop G Headquarters in Asheville, which oversaw the 17 westernmost counties in North Carolina. I retired in that position on May 1, 2021.
In October 2021, I was sworn in as a professional standards officer with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff Derrick Palmer. Sometime in early 2022, Palmer named me as the operations commander. In June 2022, I was named chief deputy of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office after the former chief deputy left the position to take employment elsewhere.
In December 2022, I was named captain at the Cherokee County Detention Center under Sheriff Dustin Smith. I remained in that position until March 20, 2022, when I resigned. Since then, I have been operating a lawn care service on a part-time basis and assisting a local towing company with N.C. Department of Motor Vehicles paperwork – I guess you would say I have been partially retired.
I am married to Vivian Davis Wood, assistant principal at Murphy High School. I have four children; Hunter (son with wife Chelsea, daughter Sadie and son Lane), who works at the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Peyton (daughter who is the athletic trainer for North Buncombe High School), Chandler (son who is retired on disability from injury in the U.S. Army), and Derek (rising sophomore at Murphy High). We have four dogs; Cinnamon, Roscoe, Sheldon and Bella.
The following are my top five priorities as sheriff.
- I want to re-establish the communities’ trust in the sheriff’s office and in law enforcement in general. With the trust of our community, we can accomplish so much more than if they are skeptical.
- I want to build positive working relationships with all agencies surrounding our county, including the District Attorney’s Office. Positive working relationships lead to successful operations/investigations and, ultimately, prosecution.
- I want to address the high level of property crime that our community faces. Even the most minor of property crime normally ties back into more serious and significant underlying crimes such as drug use and trafficking. Drug use and trafficking are issues that continue to plague our communities.
- I would like to discuss and research the possibility of the school resource officers in our county coming under the purview of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. If the financial aspects can be worked out, I believe this could lead to a more safe environment for our children, as their safety would then fall under the umbrella of one main agency instead of multiple.
- I would like to establish a clear path of professional development for officers within the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. This development would begin with recruiting and initial training and would then proceed on with advanced training throughout their career. Clear promotional guidelines and pathways would be established. Through training and opportunity, hopefully the retention rate of employees would increase.
There are many more things that I would also hope to accomplish.