By Miles Layton
COLUMBIA — Major Shively wants Tyrrell County voters to know he never left.
Shively, an unaffiliated candidate for Tyrrell County Sheriff in the Nov. 3 election, is running on nearly 17 years of law enforcement experience — most of it in the county he’s asking to lead.
Candidates, if you want to reach out to me to publish a profile piece, my email address is mileslayton1969@gmail.com
Worth noting — Shively will be facing Republican Joey Elliott in the November election, and Kevin Sawyer, sheriff of Tyrrell County, announced in August that he’s not running for reelection. Thanks for your service Sheriff Sawyer.
Back to our story — a lifelong resident of Tyrrell County, where Shively lives with his wife and daughter, he was raised in the Gum Neck community by his grandparents, Buddy and Annie Lee Brickhouse, and graduated from Tyrrell County Schools in 2007. He began his law enforcement career soon after, joining the Tyrrell County Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 1, 2009 and rose through the ranks to serve as chief deputy. In January 2023, he left to join the Hyde County Sheriff’s Office, where he still serves.
“I believe that effective law enforcement begins with integrity, accountability, and strong relationships between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve,” he said. “My goal is to bring proven experience, strong leadership, and commitment to public safety.”
Over the course of his career, Shively said he has built a broad investigative background.
“Throughout my law enforcement career I have investigated a wide range of criminal cases, including narcotics trafficking, firearms offenses, violent crimes, property crimes, and death investigations,” he said. He added that he has “worked with local, state, and federal agencies in operations involving sex offender compliance, fugitive apprehension, and criminal interdiction.”
Shively points to extensive training as a cornerstone of his candidacy. He said he has completed more than 4,000 hours of law enforcement instruction, including an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate through the North Carolina Sheriff’s Education Training and Standards Commission, a Criminal Investigator Specialist Certificate through the Coastal Plains Law Enforcement Training Center, and a Criminal Investigation Certificate through the North Carolina Justice Academy.
He has also completed several leadership programs, he said, including “North Carolina Justice Academy Leadership Institute, Burden of Command, Credible Leadership and Leading in Law Enforcement.”
Asked why he’s running, Shively framed his campaign around a philosophy of community-oriented policing.
Reminder — Shively will appear on the November ballot as an unaffiliated candidate, facing Elliott, a Republican, in a race that will decide who leads the county’s law enforcement agency for the next term.
“As I seek the office of sheriff, I respectfully ask for the support and vote of the citizens of Tyrrell County,” Shively said.
Election Day is Nov. 3. Tyrrell County voters can find polling locations and registration information through the Tyrrell County Board of Elections.
