There’s a new sheriff in Wilson County. For the first time in its history, an African-American will be sworn in to lead the law enforcement effort in the county east of Raleigh.
Calvin Woodard will take the oath of office today on the steps of the Wilson County Courthouse. Woodard won a racially-charged election by a nearly 2-to-1 margin.
Woodard defeated Wayne Gay in the democratic primary back in May. The next day, Gay blamed race for the defeat. Gay was the sheriff for 24 years and supported an independent candidate in the general election.
After he won election, Woodard said he hoped to help ease some of the racial tensions that emerged during the campaign.