Chatham County sheriff to step down next year. What’s next for Mike Roberson.
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Roberson will not seek re-election as sheriff to run for county commissioner
- He endorses Chief Deputy Steve Maynor, and Maynor has filed to run for sheriff.
- Roberson cites family, 40 years in public safety, and new detention center.
Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson will lay down his badge after 10 years to campaign for a seat on the Chatham County Board of Commissioners.
Roberson announced his decision in a news release from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office on Monday, saying it was due in part to a desire to spend more time with his wife, Annette, and their family.
“After many conversations with my family and a great deal of prayer, I have made the difficult but peaceful decision not to seek re-election as sheriff,” he said. “I will continue serving proudly through my term in 2026, giving every day the same commitment and heart that I always have.”
Roberson threw his support behind Chief Deputy Steve Maynor to be the next sheriff. Maynor, a Democrat who lives in Bear Creek, filed to run for the office Monday.
“Steve is not only prepared, but he is also devoted to this community,” Roberson said. “He has the experience, relationships, and the genuine servant’s heart that this job demands. He has been an essential part of our leadership team, and I am proud to offer him my full endorsement.”
Roberson filed to run for commissioner in District 3, a seat that has been held since 2022 by Commissioner David Delaney. District 3 represents northcentral Chatham County, including Fearrington Village and neighborhoods east of U.S. 15-501, from the Orange County line to west Pittsboro.
Roberson was appointed in 2016 to replace retiring Sheriff Richard Webster and won his first election in 2018. He has nearly 40 years of law enforcement and public safety experience and is the current chairman of the N.C. Sheriffs’ Association. He also has served as president and vice president of the statewide organization in the previous four years.
His tenure oversaw a new Chatham County Detention Center on Renaissance Drive, along with advances in law enforcement technology, training, victim services, and national accreditation, Roberson said. The Sheriff’s Office is poised to move all of its operations in the next few years to the Chatham County campus on Renaissance Drive.
Law enforcement “has brought some of the greatest joys of my life, along with difficult days that tested me in every way,” Roberson said in the news release. “Through each moment — good or hard — my love for this county and my commitment to keeping our community safe have never wavered.”
But that has not come without sacrifices for him and his family, he added, noting “long days and nights, the missed dinners, and the heavy responsibility that comes with this badge.”
Roberson said he’s looking forward to serving in a new capacity. The Chatham County native is a former paramedic and emergency medical technician who served in the U.S. Army Reserve.
This story was originally published December 1, 2025 at 6:47 PM with the headline "Chatham County sheriff to step down next year. What’s next for Mike Roberson.."
