EDENTON — Two candidates with markedly different professional paths but a shared focus on public service are seeking to lead the Chowan County Sheriff’s Office in the 2026 election: incumbent Sheriff Edward “Scooter” Basnight and challenger Kristy L. LaLonde.

Basnight, a Republican, and LaLonde, a Democrat, are running unopposed in their political party’s primaries, so they are poised to take their campaign for sheriff into November’s election.  As we approach that election, we’ll hear more from these candidates.

Basnight, who has spent more than three decades in law enforcement and was appointed sheriff in 2020, is emphasizing continuity, institutional experience, and operational leadership. 

LaLonde, a former sworn officer turned behavioral health professional and community advocate, is campaigning on trust-building, transparency, and a broader approach to public safety that integrates mental health and reentry services.

Both candidates cite deep ties to Chowan County and backgrounds they say uniquely prepare them for the responsibilities of sheriff.

While Basnight and LaLonde differ in career paths and campaign emphasis, both candidates frame their campaigns around service to Chowan County and public trust in the sheriff’s office.

Basnight’s campaign highlights experience within the department and continuity of leadership, pointing to decades of service and familiarity with the internal operations of the sheriff’s office.

LaLonde’s campaign emphasizes community engagement, behavioral health integration, and transparency, arguing that modern public safety requires broader collaboration and responsiveness.

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Basnight’s career rooted in law enforcement leadership

Sheriff Edward “Scooter” Basnight was born the son of a U.S. Air Force service member stationed in Ancon, Panama Canal Zone and was raised in Edenton after returning to the contiguous United States. His law enforcement career began after he successfully completed the Certified Basic Law Enforcement Training at Martin Community College.

Basnight became a full-time police officer with the Edenton Police Department, where he served as a patrol officer until April 1999. He later joined the Elizabeth City Police Department, serving as both a community and patrol officer.

As part of that department, Basnight served the Southside Community Police Unit as their supervisor, establishing and building relationships with various community groups and empowering citizens to police themselves.

In 2002, Basnight transitioned to the Chowan County Sheriff’s Office, where he served for the next 17 years prior to becoming sheriff. During that time, he worked in a wide range of operational and leadership roles.

“A long time K-9 handler and trainer, Scooter and his K-9 partner Rico were among the most recognizable members of the Sheriff’s Office,” according to his campaign biography. Basnight ensured the canine was trained to standard of the North American Police Work Dog Association, and ready to be utilized as a dual Purpose K9 in Narcotic Detection and Patrol.

His advancement through the ranks included promotion to sergeant, lieutenant, and ultimately chief deputy under former Sheriff Dwayne Goodwin. As chief deputy, Basnight managed all aspects of the Sheriff’s Office, including patrol, investigations, School Resource Officers, and civil process.

His responsibilities also extended beyond daily operations. “His duties included professional development of the Sheriff’s Office as a Field Training Officer and In-service Training Coordinator, as well as maintaining personnel, budgets, and general administration of the Sheriff’s Office, Detention Center and Communications Center.”

Basnight was appointed sheriff in August 2020, following Dwayne Goodwin’s retirement from that office, and has since overseen the department during a period that included the COVID-19 pandemic, staffing challenges, and evolving public expectations of law enforcement. He was elected as sheriff in November of 2022.  

Basnight’s record includes numerous professional certifications. He is certified as an Agency Training Coordinator, Intoximeter Operator, Utility Canine Instructor, General Instructor, Firearms Instructor and Rapid Deployment Instructor, and holds credentials through both Criminal Justice Training and Standards and Sheriff’s Training and Standards.

He received his Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate in 2008 and later “received his Advanced Service Award from NC Sheriff’s Training and Standards in 2020.”

His service has also been recognized through multiple awards, including the Award of Valor from the Virginia Police Work Dog Association in 2008 and from the North American Police Work Dog Association in 2010. Other honors include the E.G. Bond Post 40 Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer of the Year in 2009, the “F.O.P Law Enforcement Integrity Award in 2011, and the “Chowan County 4-H Top Cop Award in 2015.

Basnight is also a founding member of the Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Dive Team.

To top it all off, Basnight is Scoutmaster of Troop 164 of Edenton.

LaLonde enters race emphasizing trust and collaboration

Kristy L. LaLonde has officially announced her candidacy for sheriff, saying Chowan County’s growth presents “an important opportunity to further strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the community it serves.”

Her campaign announcement states that she is “stepping forward to offer leadership grounded in experience, integrity, and a sincere commitment to listening and collaboration,” adding that “effective public safety is built on trust, transparency, and shared responsibility.”

LaLonde has lived in Chowan County for 36 years, aside from a brief period in neighboring Bertie County. She comes from what she describes as a multi-generational law enforcement family and holds a bachelor’s degree in the Administration of Criminal Justice.

She previously served both part-time and full-time as a sworn law enforcement officer, including several years as a narcotics investigator. According to her announcement, those experiences provided her “with a clear understanding of the demands placed on officers and the importance of ethical leadership, professionalism, and accountability.”

She also noted serving as chair of the grievance Committee for my local chapter of the police benevolent association when she worked in law enforcement, a role she says gave her firsthand experience advocating for officers while upholding standards and fairness.

Experience beyond traditional policing

After leaving full-time law enforcement, LaLonde’s career expanded into the legal and behavioral health fields. She worked with local law firms, where she gained “valuable perspective on how law enforcement and court decisions impact individuals, families, and communities well beyond an arrest or lawsuit.”

Since 2019, LaLonde has continued her public service as a North Carolina Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) and North Carolina Certified Criminal Justice Addictions Professional (CCJP). In that role, she has focused on “justice-involved individuals, reentry services, and behavioral health support.”

Her campaign materials emphasize that these experiences reinforced her belief “that public safety is closely connected to mental health care, addiction treatment, prevention, and strong community partnerships.”

LaLonde currently owns and operates Vargon Recovery Support Services, through which she also provides volunteer services. She and her husband are local business owners, and she describes her background as shaping a deep understanding of hardship.

“Having grown up with very little, I understand firsthand the struggles many individuals and families endure,” her campaign statement reads.

LaLonde is the mother of two adult children, including a son who is a law enforcement officer. She has been married for 15 years and lives in Chowan County with her husband and their three rescued Envigo beagles.

An animal rights advocate for more than 15 years, LaLonde has focused on rescuing laboratory research beagles and placing them in permanent homes. Her campaign biography says her life reflects “compassion, resilience, responsibility, and a deep belief in accountability, stewardship, second chances, and person-centered support for others.”

Vision for the sheriff’s office

LaLonde’s vision for the Chowan County Sheriff’s Office “centers on strengthening trust between the Sheriff’s Office, county residents, and partner agencies.”

She believes “effective public safety depends on open communication, clear policies, and consistent accountability,” and says that under her leadership the office would “emphasize transparency and public access to information.”

Her approach includes “regular community forums, stakeholder discussions, and ongoing opportunities for residents to share input and concerns.” She has also stressed cooperation with municipal police departments, neighboring counties, state agencies, and community organizations.

Lalonda said she believes collaboration leads to better outcomes for public safety, stronger support for deputies, and more efficient use of resources,” according to her campaign materials.

Why she is running

LaLonde says she is running because she believes Chowan County benefits most from leadership that is “accessible, engaged, and genuinely responsive to community needs.”

She points to modern challenges such as “mental health crises, substance use disorders, reentry support, and community relations,” saying they “require thoughtful leadership and a willingness to work across disciplines.”

Her campaign describes her background as offering “a balanced perspective suited to these evolving responsibilities.”

Competing approaches, shared focus on service

As the 2026 election approaches, voters will be asked to weigh these competing visions for the future of the Chowan County Sheriff’s Office—one rooted in long-standing institutional leadership, the other in a community-centered approach shaped by law enforcement, advocacy, and recovery services.

Both candidates say their goal is the same: ensuring Chowan County residents feel safe, respected, and supported by the office sworn to serve them.