Editing Robeson County, North Carolina (section)

==Law and government==
===Government===
[[File:Robeson County Administration Center (May 2023) 3.jpg|thumb|left|Robeson County Administration Center in Lumberton]]
[[File:Robeson County Commissioners Building (May 2023) (cropped).jpg|thumb|Robeson County Commissioners Building in Lumberton]]
Robeson County is run by a [[Council–manager government|commission–manager government]]. The county commission comprises eight members elected from [[single-member district]]s in four-year staggered terms. Presided over by a chair elected by the commissioners from among their members for one year, the commission has legislative and policy-making authority over county government. The commissioners appoint a county manager with executive authority over county administration and implement the commission's decisions. The manager appoints directors of county government departments.{{sfn|Finance Department of Robeson County|2021|pp=12–13}} The county government supplies emergency services, social services, public health services, recreation, and economic development in its jurisdiction. It also maintains a water system and landfill.{{sfn|Finance Department of Robeson County|2021|pp=13–14}} A local property tax funds the county government.<ref>{{cite news| last = Horne| first = Jessica| title = Robeson County Commissioners approve FY2022-23 budget| newspaper = The Robesonian| date = June 6, 2022| url = https://www.robesonian.com/news/235195/robeson-county-commissioners-approve-fy2022-23-budget| access-date = November 13, 2022}}</ref> Several county departments are headquartered in the Robeson County Administration Center in Lumberton.<ref name= horneRCAC>{{cite news| last = Horne| first = Jessica| title = Robeson County officials host grand opening of the county's administration center| newspaper = The Robesonian| date = December 8, 2021| url = https://www.robesonian.com/news/152272/robeson-county-officials-host-grand-opening-of-the-countys-administration-center| access-date = December 16, 2022}}</ref>

Robeson 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> The county also has a Soil and Water Conservation District led by an elected supervisor.<ref name= jacobsetal/> Robeson County is located in [[North Carolina's 7th congressional district]],<ref name= Nagem1/> the [[North Carolina Senate]]'s [[North Carolina's 24th Senate district|24th district]], and the [[North Carolina House of Representatives]]' [[North Carolina's 46th House district|46th]] and [[North Carolina's 47th House district|47th]] district.<ref name= jacobsetal>{{cite news| last1 = Jacobs| first1 = Copeland| last2 = Sinclair| first2 = Tomeka| last3 = Stiles| first3 = Chris| title = Votes face slew of candidates| newspaper = The Robesonian| date = October 29, 2022| url = https://www.robesonian.com/news/239289/votes-face-slew-of-candidates| access-date = November 13, 2022}}</ref> Robeson is one of the four counties within the jurisdiction of the [[Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina]]. Tribal members within the county elect some members of the tribal council.{{sfn|Lowery|2018|p=222}} Its headquarters is in Pembroke.<ref name= martin/>

=== Law enforcement and judicial system ===
Robeson County lies within the bounds of North Carolina's 20th Prosecutorial District, the 16B [[North Carolina Superior Court|Superior Court]] District, and the 16B [[North Carolina District Courts|District Court]] District.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/robeson-county| title = Robeson County| publisher = North Carolina Judicial Branch| access-date = November 29, 2022}}</ref> County residents elect a county sheriff, [[Court clerk|clerk of Superior Court]], and district attorney.<ref>{{cite news| last = Nagem| first = Sarah| title = Election Day in Robeson County is Nov. 8. Here's who is on the ballot| newspaper = Border Belt Independent| date = October 17, 2022| url = https://borderbelt.org/robeson-county-nc-midterm-election/| access-date = December 10, 2022}}</ref> Judicial officials work out of the Robeson County Courthouse in Lumberton.<ref name= horneRCAC/> Law enforcement is provided across the county by the sheriff's office, while the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and the towns of Lumberton, St. Pauls, Maxton, Red Springs, Rowland, Pembroke, and Fairmont retain police departments.<ref>{{cite news| last = Horne| first = Jessica| title = Staff shortages hit law enforcement| newspaper = The Robesonian| date = May 13, 2022| url = https://www.robesonian.com/news/200023/staff-shortages-hit-law-enforcement| access-date = December 10, 2022}}</ref> According to an October 2021 report issued by the State Bureau of Investigation, in 2020 Robeson experienced the highest violent crime rate of the state's counties at 1,190 incidents per 100,000 people, and the third-worst overall crime rate.<ref>{{cite news| last = Horne| first = Jessica| title = Robeson County again top in violent crime rates across the state| newspaper = The Robesonian| date = December 27, 2021| url = https://www.robesonian.com/news/152804/robeson-county-again-top-in-violent-crime-rates-across-the-state| access-date = December 10, 2022}}</ref>

===Politics===
[[File:State Capitol Protest in Raleigh (2020 Nov) (50603498261).jpg|thumb|Republican presidential candidate [[Donald Trump]] won Robeson County in 2016, 2020, and 2024 with the support of many Lumbees.]]
{| role="presentation" class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
| <strong>Historical presidential election returns</strong>
|-
| {{PresHead|place=Robeson 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|29,647|16,728|395|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|27,806|19,020|362|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|20,762|19,016|1,080|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|17,510|24,988|448|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|17,433|23,058|343|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|15,909|17,868|94|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|11,721|17,834|192|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|8,146|17,361|2,164|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|7,777|19,378|3,319|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|9,908|16,988|104|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1984|Democratic|12,947|15,257|87|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|6,982|17,618|430|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|4,907|20,695|97|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|11,362|7,391|188|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|4,526|8,248|6,441|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|3,591|13,796|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|3,580|11,623|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|2,785|10,516|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|4,127|9,311|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|1,036|7,056|1,041|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|1,118|7,278|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|931|9,251|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|732|10,280|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|783|7,860|44|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|2,767|4,730|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|314|4,064|14|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|2,220|6,183|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|1,453|2,894|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|154|2,706|660|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1908|Democratic|1,300|2,698|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1904|Democratic|982|2,274|6|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|1,144|3,280|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|2,429|3,457|3|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1892|Democratic|1,117|2,312|842|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1888|Democratic|1,970|2,879|41|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1884|Democratic|2,278|2,503|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresFoot|1880|Democratic|1,960|2,235|0|North Carolina}}
|}

Politically, Robeson County has historically been dominated by the Democratic Party. A majority of Robesonians voted for Republican presidential candidate [[Richard Nixon]] [[1972 United States presidential election|in 1972]], but then voted for Democratic presidential candidates in the next nine elections.<ref name= harrison>{{cite web| url = https://www.wfae.org/politics/2020-10-19/democrats-hope-rural-robeson-county-goes-blue-again| title = Democrats Hope Rural Robeson County Goes Blue Again| last = Harrison| first = Steve| date = October 19, 2020| website = WFAE 90.7|publisher = WFAE| access-date = November 15, 2022}}</ref> The local Republican Party grew in the early 21st century, fueled by prevailing religious conservatism in the county and discontent with the loss of manufacturing jobs. Many of the Democrats who remained with their party were [[Conservative Democrat|conservative]].<ref name= samuels>{{cite news| last = Samuels| first = Robert| title = Their county was once a bellwether. Now, these Obama-Trump voters wonder what the future holds.| newspaper = The Washington Post| date = November 10, 2020| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/robeson-obama-trump-voters/2020/11/09/17b83d4e-2272-11eb-a381-7400aa2eda00_story.html| access-date = November 14, 2022}}</ref> 

Democrats continued to win state and local races by large margins in the 2000s but their margins of victory in presidential and congressional races decreased. In 2016 and 2020, county voters favored Republican [[Donald Trump]], who won over majorities of white and Lumbee voters by championing socially conservative issues, criticizing [[free trade]] agreements, and declaring his support for full federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe.<ref name= kruse>{{cite news| last = Kruse| first = Michael| title = How Trump Won One of America's Most Diverse Counties — By a Lot| newspaper = Politico| date = December 10, 2020| url = https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/12/10/robeson-county-rural-rainbow-coalition-north-carolina-trump-republicans-443978| access-date = November 15, 2022}}</ref> The area also began increasingly voting for Republican state and local candidates,<ref>{{cite news| last = Yeoman| first = Barry| title = The best political strategist in Robeson County might be this high school senior| newspaper = Border Belt Independent| date = May 24, 2022| url = https://borderbelt.org/the-best-political-strategist-in-robeson-county-might-be-this-high-school-senior/| access-date = November 15, 2022}}</ref> with Robesonians in 2016 electing their first Republican state senator since Reconstruction.<ref name= kruse/> In 2020, Republicans won most races in the county.<ref>{{cite news| last = Nagem| first = Sarah| title = In an effort to keep Robeson County red, GOP makes big push to win over Lumbee voters| newspaper = Border Belt Independent| date = January 29, 2022| url = https://borderbelt.org/rnc-opens-office-in-nc-to-woo-lumbee-voters/| access-date = November 15, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last1 = Sinclair| first1 = Tomeka| last2 = Horne| first2 = Jessica| title = Election shows Robeson County has shifted red politically| newspaper = The Robesonian| date = November 4, 2020| url = https://www.robesonian.com/news/139430/election-shows-robeson-county-has-shifted-red-politically| access-date = November 15, 2022}}</ref> 

As of April 2022, Robeson hosts about 70,400 registered voters, comprising about 36,500 registered Democrats, 12,300 registered Republicans and 21,300 unaffiliated.<ref name= Nagem1>{{cite news| last = Nagem| first = Sarah| title = Robeson County voters will go to the polls May 17. Here are some primary races to watch| newspaper = Border Belt Independent| date = April 20, 2022| url = https://borderbelt.org/robeson-county-primary-election-2022/| access-date = July 21, 2022}}</ref> Trump won the county again in 2024,<ref>{{cite news| last = Nagem| first = Sarah| title = Robeson County, home to Lumbee tribe, sees small voter turnout but big support for Trump| newspaper = Border Belt Independent| date = November 6, 2024| url = https://borderbelt.org/robeson-county-nc-sees-low-turnout-support-for-trump/| access-date = November 12, 2024}}</ref> this time with an even harder swing. Indeed, Robeson County shifted further to the right in 2024 than any North Carolina county, and Trump's 63% was higher than any Republican has ever gotten in Robeson County.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mahtesian |first1=Charlie |title=The unexpected group that surged toward Trump |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2024/11/15/the-unexpected-group-that-surged-toward-trump-00189963 |website=Politico |access-date=21 January 2025}}</ref> With an estimated voter turnout rate of 59 percent, the county had the lowest turnout of any county in the state in the 2024 elections.<ref>{{cite news| last = Rappaport| first = Ben| title = Rural southeastern NC, already known for low voter turnout, sees further drop| newspaper = Border Belt Independent| date = November 6, 2024| url = https://borderbelt.org/rural-southeastern-nc-drops-voter-turnout/| access-date = November 12, 2024}}</ref>