| Donnie Harrison | |
|---|---|
| Harrison in his Raleigh office | |
| Sheriff of Wake County, North Carolina | |
| In office 2002 – incumbent |
|
| Preceded by | John Baker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 1, 1946 Bear Grass, North Carolina |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Garner, North Carolina |
Donnie Harrison is the sheriff of Wake County, North Carolina. Harrison was first elected Sheriff of Wake County in 2002, and was re-elected in 2006 and 2010. Sheriff Harrison is the first certified law enforcement officer to be elected Sheriff in Wake County. Before serving Wake County as its Sheriff, Donnie Harrison was a veteran law enforcement officer. May 10, 2010, marked his 43rd year in law enforcement.
For 26 years he served on the North Carolina Highway Patrol, working Wake County exclusively. In addition to working Wake County, Donnie served as Chief of Security for the Lieutenant Governor James Carson Gardner from 1988-92. He also taught numerous courses at the Highway Patrol Academy. Sheriff Harrison has also been recognized as one of Wake County's top canine search and rescue handlers. Since Harrison won election 2002, he has enjoyed bi-partisan support from multiple elected officials and his endorsement is often sought in local and statewide offices.[1][2]
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Harrison's first campaign for Wake County sheriff in 1998 against long-time incumbent John Baker was unsuccessful. Baker, nicknamed "Big John," was an iconic Raleigh political figure and former defensive lineman in the NFL. Baker was first elected sheriff in 1978, becoming the first Black sheriff in North Carolina since the Reconstruction era. Harrison sought a rematch in 2002 and won.
The two men faced off again for a third time in 2006 which resulted in Harrison winning convincingly, but not without controversy. His 2006 re-election was mired in controversy as it was released that Donnie Harrison had an affair with a Garner optometrist's wife. Harrison's campaign adviser stated, "There's no denying there was an affair, but the marriage was doomed before the affair happened. Then suddenly, six days before the election, this appears? That says there's got to be a lot of political motivation behind this."[3][4]
In 2008, Harrison helped dedicate the Wake Country Public Safety Center after Baker, who had passed away in 2007, to honor his long service as sheriff.[5]
As sheriff, Harrison has enacted many positive programs including an award winning Special Response Team, drug interdiction unit and traffic enforcement unit specializing in DWI enforcement. Harrison has also added programs which have expanded the K9 unit, helped the elderly with a well check program as well as forming a new gang unit to combat Wake County's growing gang problem. Sheriff Harrison is also known, especially among his deputies and investigators, as being an extremely pro-active sheriff. Sheriff Harrison is regularly seen on patrol with his deputies, responding to calls, working on investigations and going on raids with the SRT unit and drugs and vice unit.
Harrison is a self-described conservative Republican. He has weighed in on multiple elections during his tenure as Sheriff, including an endorsement of Pat McCrory's 2008 gubernatorial campaign, and Senator Richard Burr in 2010. In November 2011, Harrison publicly endorsed Wake County Commissioner Tony Gurley for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina, and former U.S. Attorney George Holding for United States Congress.[6] In his 2010 re-election campaign Harrison won the endorsement of the Muslim American Public Affairs Council.
Harrison's wife, Gail, died of lung cancer August 5, 2001, 10 days before the couple's 36th wedding anniversary.[3] In May of 2010, Harrison's daughter, Paula, was arrested on felony drug charges. Sheriff Harrison's spokeswoman said that the sheriff didn't know all the facts of the case but that he loves and supports his daughter and has faith in the judicial system. Paula Harrison was placed on a probation and ordered into rehabilitation. Paula Harrison's attorney stated that she had a health problem that led to her addiction.[7]