Rockingham sheriff announces run for Lt. Gov. in 2024 | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal. The author of this post is Theresa Opeka.

    The race for North Carolina's next lieutenant governor just became a bit more crowded as another candidate threw his hat in the ring over the weekend.

    Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page announced his plans to run for office on the Republican ticket in 2024 on Saturday.

    "I have dedicated my entire adult life to public service, and, as your next Lieutenant Governor, I pledge to continue protecting and serving the people of North Carolina," he said in a press release on his Facebook page.

    Page, who has been sheriff since 1998, has served as a law enforcement officer in North Carolina for more than 40 years, including as a patrolman, criminal investigator, and administrator.

    He also served as President of the North Carolina Sheriff's Association from 2010-2011 and served for more than a decade as a National Sheriff's Association Border Security Committee member.

    Page is a United States Air Force veteran who served five years as a Security Police K-9 handler.

    He joins a growing list of candidates for lieutenant governor on both sides of the aisle.

    On the Democrat side, State Sen. Rachel Hunt, former state Sen. Raymond Smith, former state Sen. Ben Clark, Chris Rey, former mayor of Spring Lake, and Delmonte Crawford.

    Republicans vying for the seat include Hal Weatherman, Peter Boykin, Allen Mashburn, and Rep. Jeffrey Elmore, who announced his bid for the position earlier this month.

    Current Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson announced last month that he is running for governor in 2024.