Editing Richmond County, North Carolina (section)

==Law and government==
===Government===
Richmond County is governed by a seven-member [[board of commissioners]]. The commissioners are elected [[at-large]] in four-year staggered terms beginning the first Monday of December following the November in which they were elected. The commissioners select one of their own to serve as chairman and another to serve as vice-chairman.<ref name= commission>{{cite web| url = https://www.richmondnc.com/155/Board-of-County-Commissioners| title = Board of County Commissioners: Board Information| publisher = Richmond County Government| access-date = December 26, 2022}}</ref> The board sets county policy, passes ordinances, and hires the county manager. The manager serves as the chief executive officer of the county government. They execute the commissioners' directives and represent the county in intergovernmental dealings.<ref name= administration>{{cite web| url = https://www.richmondnc.com/148/Administration| title = Administration: Richmond County Manager| publisher = Richmond County Government| access-date = December 26, 2022}}</ref> The county government is funded by a local property tax.<ref>{{cite news| last = Nagem| first = Sarah| title = Scotland County lowers property tax rate, but it's still the highest in North Carolina| newspaper = Border Belt Independent| date = July 7, 2022| url = https://borderbelt.org/scotland-county-nc-property-tax-rate/| access-date = July 20, 2022}}</ref>

Richmond County is a member of the [[Councils of governments in North Carolina|Lumber River Council of Governments]], a regional planning board representing five counties.<ref>{{cite news| title = Richardson explains role of LRCOG to Rotary Club| newspaper = [[The Laurinburg Exchange]]| date = January 28, 2020| url = https://www.laurinburgexchange.com/news/33084/richardson-explains-role-of-lrcog-to-rotary-club| access-date = July 21, 2022}}</ref> It is located in [[North Carolina's 9th congressional district|North Carolina's 9th]] and [[North Carolina's 8th congressional district|8th]] congressional districts,<ref>{{cite news| title = Republicans carry N.C. 2022 midterms as national red wave falls short| newspaper = The Richmond Observer| date = November 9, 2022| url = https://richmondobserver.com/local-news/republicans-carry-n-c-2022-midterms-as-national-red-wave-falls-short.html| access-date = December 26, 2022}}</ref> the [[North Carolina Senate]]'s [[North Carolina's 29th Senate district|29th district]], and the [[North Carolina House of Representatives]]' [[North Carolina's 52nd House district|52nd district]].<ref>{{cite news| last = Stone| first = Gavin| title = How the new legislative maps affect ballots for Richmond County voters| newspaper = Richmond County Daily Journal | date = March 8, 2022| url = https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/news/105543/how-the-new-legislative-maps-affect-ballots-for-richmond-county-voters| access-date = December 22, 2022}}</ref> The [[United States Army]] operates [[Camp Mackall]], which partially lies within the county.<ref>{{cite news| last = Barkin| first = Dan| title = Fort Bragg scoops solar power at a Scotland County lake| newspaper = Business North Carolina| date = June 6, 2022| url = https://businessnc.com/fort-bragg-scoops-solar-power-at-a-scotland-county-lake/| access-date = December 21, 2022}}</ref>

===Law enforcement and judicial system===
Richmond County lies within the bounds of the 21st Prosecutorial District, the 16A [[North Carolina Superior Court|Superior Court]] District, and the 16A [[North Carolina District Courts|District Court]] District.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/richmond-county| title = Richmond County| publisher = North Carolina Judicial Branch| access-date = December 26, 2022}}</ref> County voters elect a sheriff.<ref>{{cite news| title = Gulledge earns over three-quarters of vote in Sheriff race| newspaper = Richmond County Daily Journal| date = May 17, 2022| url = https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/news/106921/gulledge-earns-over-three-quarters-of-vote-in-sheriff-race| access-date = December 28, 2022}}</ref> Law enforcement is provided across the county by the sheriff's office, while the cities of Hamlet and Rockingham retain their own police departments.<ref>{{cite news| last = Sasser| first = Matthew| title = RSHS partners with law enforcement, prosecutors to guide students' decision making| newspaper = Richmond County Daily Journal| date = February 11, 2022| url = https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/news/105228/rshs-partners-with-law-enforcement-prosecutors-to-guide-students-decision-making| access-date = December 26, 2022}}</ref>

===Politics===
{{PresHead|place=Richmond County, North Carolina|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 17, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|11,931|7,787|155|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|11,830|8,754|179|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|10,383|8,501|444|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|9,332|9,904|181|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|9,424|9,713|190|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|7,709|8,383|53|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|6,263|7,935|71|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|3,973|7,564|1,264|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|4,356|9,163|2,034|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|5,073|7,151|33|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1984|Democratic|6,807|7,494|29|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|3,911|7,416|282|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|2,848|8,793|23|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|5,692|3,508|156|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1968|American Independent|2,865|4,257|5,457|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|3,123|8,516|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|3,285|8,293|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|2,907|6,592|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|3,361|7,340|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|866|4,376|840|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|938|5,394|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|779|6,530|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|607|6,709|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|693|4,862|36|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|2,045|2,975|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|599|2,475|163|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|1,124|3,341|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|650|1,553|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Democratic|82|1,319|185|North Carolina}}

Richmond County was long politically dominated by Democrats.<ref name= sasserRepub/><ref name= campbell/><ref name= dunn/> [[R. W. Goodman]], who served as sheriff of Richmond County from 1950 to 1994, was the [[political boss|boss]] of a [[conservative Democrat]]ic [[courthouse clique|courthouse machine]]. He held wide influence in determining who served in local government and represented the county in the [[North Carolina General Assembly]].<ref name= christensen>{{cite news| last = Christensen| first = Rob| title = Sheriff was last of breed| newspaper = The News & Observer| date = April 8, 2007|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115242117/sheriff-was-last-of-breed-rw-goodman/|page=B1}}</ref>{{sfn|Sherman|2012|p=81}} During his tenure Democrats dominated local offices and the politics of the county was largely conservative.{{sfn|Sherman|2012|pp=81–82}} A majority of the county electorate voted for Democratic U.S. presidential candidate [[Barack Obama]] in 2012, but Republican presidential candidate [[Donald Trump]] won by a 10 percent margin in 2016.<ref name= campbell>{{cite news|last=Campbell|first=Colin| title = 7 rural NC counties flip 'bloodshot red' for Trump| newspaper = The News & Observer|volume=152|issue=318| date = November 13, 2016| url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115219989/7-rural-nc-counties-flip-bloodshot/|pages=1A, 8A}}</ref> Following the 2020 elections, Republicans gained a majority of the seats on the county board of commissioners.<ref name= sasserRepub/> In 2022 Republicans won a majority of local elections in the county and gained control of all of the seats on the board of commissioners.<ref>{{cite news| last = Toler| first = William R.| title = Republicans to control Richmond County Board of Commissioners following 2022 midterm election| newspaper = The Richmond Observer| date = November 8, 2022| url = https://richmondobserver.com/local-news/republicans-to-control-richmond-county-board-of-commissioners-following-2022-midterm-election.html| access-date = December 26, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last = Toler| first = William R.| title = Richmond County Commissioners sworn in; Webb to step down as attorney| newspaper = The Richmond Observer| date = December 6, 2022| url = https://richmondobserver.com/local-news/richmond-county-commissioners-sworn-in-webb-to-step-down-as-attorney.html| access-date = December 26, 2022}}</ref> As of March 2022, Richmond County had 27,358 registered voters of whom 12,346 were Democrats and 6,925 were Republicans.<ref name= sasserRepub>{{cite news| last = Sasser| first = Matthew| title = Richmond County Republicans hold annual convention, tout party's growth| newspaper = Richmond County Daily Journal| date = March 19, 2022| url = https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/news/105705/richmond-county-republicans-hold-annual-convention-tout-partys-growth| access-date = December 26, 2022}}</ref>