Paula Dance

Paula Dance Is The First Black Woman Elected Sheriff In North Carolina.
Pitt County, NC

-Voters in Pitt County made history Tuesday when they elected the first black woman to the office of sheriff and the first black man to the office of district attorney.

Democrat Paula Dance, 53, a major with the sheriff’s office, defeated Republican Gary Weaver in the sheriff’s race 31,853 to 26,523 votes in unofficial returns, according to the Pitt County Board of Elections. Democrat Faris Dixon defeated Republican Glen Perry 30,313 to 27,896 votes in the race for Pitt County district attorney.

“I wanted everybody to come on this journey with me because I knew it was going to be different than anybody else’s race,” Dance said during a victory party held by Democrats at the Hilton Greenville on Tuesday night.

“There's never been anybody who looked like me, who was my gender, to run for sheriff. I knew there were a lot of people who worked hard and I knew that I had what it took to do this. I stepped out on a leap of faith and I did it. I want to say thank you God, and I got a lot of people beside me who've been there and for me since day one,” Dance said

Dance will succeed Neil Elks, who was elected to the office in 2010.