Sheriff David Grice of Davidson County won a resounding victory in the Republican primary yesterday, beating back former Sheriff Gerald Hege's bid to regain the office that he left in disgrace seven years ago.
In complete but unofficial results, Grice had 9,631 votes, or about 61 percent. Hege had 3,838 votes, or about 24 percent, and challenger Terry Price had 2,274 votes, or about 14 percent.
Grice said he was humbled by the support and surprised at the margin of victory.
"It sends a great message that Davidson County is continuing its move forward," he said.
Hege could not be reached for comment.
Grice has been Davidson County's sheriff since 2004, when county Republican Party officials appointed him to fill the remaining two years of Hege's term after Hege resigned from office and pleaded guilty to two felony counts of obstruction of justice in 2003.
In 2006, Grice defeated Price in the Republican primary and Democrat Roy Holman in the general election.
Hege was first elected sheriff in 1994 and was re-elected in 1998 and 2002.
His political re-emergence -- he announced his intentions to run late last year -- divided the county's Republican Party.
Hege had found support among some GOP voters, but for the most part, party leaders did not support his candidacy.
In addition to entering the race with a felony record, Hege faced a string of negative headlines during the three-month run-up to the primary.
The county Republicans voted to support a bill by Republican state Sen. Stan Bingham that would bar convicted felons from holding the office of sheriff in North Carolina.
The county's move followed a unanimous vote by the N.C. Sheriff's Association -- a group that Hege shunned while in office -- to support Bingham's bill.
Last month, a group appeared before the county board of elections to protest Hege's candidacy, arguing that his felony conviction made him ineligible to run. The leader of the group challenging Hege said it wants to proceed with a hearing on the issue on Friday.
Lance Barrett, the chairman of the Davidson County Republicans, said that Grice earned the support of a broad group of voters, including longtime Republicans and many Democrats who switched to unaffiliated status to vote for Grice in the primary.
Barrett said he was skeptical of Hege's claim that an overwhelming number of campaign signs across the county showed strong support for his candidacy.
"We found out something tonight that all politically savvy observers have known for a long time: Signs don't vote; people do," Barrett said.
In September 2003, Hege was indicted on 15 felony counts -- five counts of obtaining property by false pretense, five counts of embezzlement by a public officer, two counts of common-law obstruction of justice, and one count each of endeavor to intercepting oral communication, aiding and abetting an endeavor to intercept oral communication, and aiding and abetting obtaining property by false pretense.
The charges were the result of a sweeping investigation of the sheriff's office that included affidavits from more than 20 sheriff's officers and staff members. The affidavits included allegations that Hege embezzled county money, drove at speeds of 150 mph or more on the interstate when there was no apparent emergency, used racial profiling to target minorities and inappropriately used county money on expenses for his family.
Grice will face Democrat Tommy Evans in the November general election. Evans ran unopposed in the Democrat primary.
pgarber@wsjournal.com
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