As Sam Cooke famously sang, “A change is gonna come.” And change for sure is coming to Sampson County very soon, as local political races for 2026 begin to heat up.

Last week, we reported that incumbent Sheriff Jimmy Thornton will be challenged in the primary by fellow Republican Tracy Jackson. Both the sheriff and his challenger received ringing endorsements and staunch criticisms on our Facebook posts, so there’s no telling how this particular race will pan out. But, no matter what happens, things will likely change on the law enforcement front.

In addition to a contest for Sampson County sheriff, local law enforcement is seeing another major change in leadership, as Clinton Police Chief Anthony Davis announced his retirement, effective this past Thursday. Davis has only been chief for

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