Robeson County, NC elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Robeson County: 32 seats on 7 elected bodies. 8 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Robeson County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commissioner, District 1Wixie Stephens Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 2Pauline H. Campbell Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 3John E. Cummings Republican source
County Commissioner, District 4Faline Locklear Dial Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 5Judy Oxendine Sampson Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 6David L. Edge Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 7H.T. (Tom) Taylor, Jr. Republican source
County Commissioner, District 8Lance Herndon Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

Official website

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Clerk of Superior CourtShelena Smith Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Register of DeedsVicki Lynn Locklear Democratic source
SheriffBurnis Wilkins Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

School Board

Robeson County Board of Education

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Board of Education Member, At-LargeVonta Leach source
Board of Education Member, District 1John Simmons source
Board of Education Member, District 2Melissa Ocean sourceNext term: Melissa Davis Ocean (elected, per the official body)
Board of Education Member, District 3Linda Emanuel sourceNext term: Linda O. Emanuel (elected, per the official body)
Board of Education Member, District 4Terry B. Locklear source
Board of Education Member, District 5Craig Lowry source
Board of Education Member, District 6Crystal Weindel Monroe sourceNext term: Crystal Monroe (elected, per the official body)
Board of Education Member, District 7Bradley Phillips source
Board of Education Member, District 8Tre' Britt sourceNext term: Tre' Britt (elected, per the official body)

Cities and towns

Special districts

Boards elected by the voters who live in each district.

Robeson Soil and Water Conservation District · 3 seats
OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Soil and Water Conservation District SupervisorGilbert (Chip) Lewis, Jr. sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Soil and Water Conservation District SupervisorMichael Herndon sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Soil and Water Conservation District SupervisorJoseph Neill (Joe) Howell, Jr. source

How many local governments Robeson County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 25 local governments in Robeson County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships151
School districts (school boards)01
Special districts (elected boards)91

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments (2 in Robeson County), though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Robeson County

116,902people
36.4median ageU.S.: 38.9
$41,978 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
27.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%
14.7%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$94,500median home valueU.S.: $332,700
6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
5.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.3%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
14.2%U.S.: 8.4%
48.2%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
28.3%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 10.9% · White 23.3% · Black 23.2% · Asian 0.8% · Other or more than one race 41.9% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Robeson County

4.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 5.3%. North Carolina: 3.1%.
1,885people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
41,550people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
43,435in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Robeson County 0.0%2.4%4.8%7.2%9.6% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.3%1,88541,55043,435
August 20265.1%2,19740,60642,803
July 20265.4%2,22838,90341,131
June 20264.8%2,06841,03643,104
May 20264.8%2,05441,10443,158
April 20264.7%2,02941,47543,504
March 20264.7%2,05442,02944,083
February 20265.2%2,29641,73444,030
January 20265.7%2,51841,41843,936
December 20254.8%2,14442,07144,215
November 20255.2%2,27541,76644,041
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20255.3%2,32141,80544,126
August 20255.8%2,55041,27043,820
July 20256.2%2,66240,09442,756
June 20255.6%2,48642,10344,589
May 20255.0%2,21542,04244,257
April 20254.7%2,10142,49544,596
March 20255.2%2,32642,63744,963
February 20255.4%2,38742,18144,568
January 20255.4%2,41242,20844,620
December 20244.8%2,11942,36044,479
November 20245.1%2,24042,11444,354
October 20244.5%2,01442,65044,664
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.3%2,35341,87944,232
20245.1%2,28342,51244,795
20235.0%2,25642,90145,157
20225.5%2,50542,73345,238
20217.7%3,45341,37044,823
20209.1%4,11141,18945,300
20195.3%2,49244,27046,762
20186.1%2,78943,23046,019
20176.7%3,10143,44446,545
20168.2%3,83243,10646,938

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. North Carolina's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.4% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Robeson County

571.1 per 100,0002018. North Carolina: 356.2.
2,890.3 per 100,0002018. North Carolina: 2,343.8.
18murders2018, 757 violent crimes in all.

2018 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

By police agency (9)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Robeson County Sheriff's Office20249011,90185,905
Lumberton Police Department20252361,58318,882
Red Springs Police Department2025141443,205
Pembroke Police Department2025221912,877
Fairmont Police Department2025191242,219
Maxton Police Department20239652,103
St. Pauls Police Department202313992,045
Rowland Police Department2025636896
Parkton Police Department201800420

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in North Carolina · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.31 per 1,000 residents2025, 9 agencies serving 119,455 people.
276sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
98civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (9), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Robeson County Sheriff's Office1347586,639
Lumberton Police Department811418,882
St. Pauls Police Department1642,089
Pembroke Police Department1332,877
Fairmont Police Department1202,219
Red Springs Police Department713,205
Maxton Police Department602,143
Rowland Police Department51896
Parkton Police Department20505
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20252762.31989
20242792.35499
20232622.24399
20222762.361039
20212842.22379
20202842.18359
20192752.09409
20182692.031119
20172822.111199
20162752.051159

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Robeson County Clerk of Superior Court?
Shelena Smith (Democratic) is the Clerk of Superior Court of Robeson County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Robeson County Register of Deeds?
Vicki Lynn Locklear (Democratic) is the Register of Deeds of Robeson County, North Carolina.
Who is the Robeson County Sheriff?
Burnis Wilkins (Democratic) is the Sheriff of Robeson County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Robeson County commissioners?
Wixie Stephens (District 1); Pauline H. Campbell (District 2); John E. Cummings (District 3); Faline Locklear Dial (District 4); Judy Oxendine Sampson (District 5); David L. Edge (District 6); H.T. (Tom) Taylor, Jr. (District 7); Lance Herndon (District 8).
Who is on the Robeson County School Board?
Vonta Leach (Board of Education Member, At-Large); John Simmons (Board of Education Member, District 1); Melissa Ocean (Board of Education Member, District 2); Linda Emanuel (Board of Education Member, District 3); Terry B. Locklear (Board of Education Member, District 4); Craig Lowry (Board of Education Member, District 5); Crystal Weindel Monroe (Board of Education Member, District 6); Bradley Phillips (Board of Education Member, District 7); Tre' Britt (Board of Education Member, District 8).
What is the population of Robeson County?
About 116,902 people, with a median age of 36.4; the median household income is $41,978 and 27.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Robeson County?
4.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 1,885 people unemployed in a labor force of 43,435, against 5.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Robeson County?
25 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 15 municipal and 9 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Robeson County?
1: Lumberton. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the NC State Board of Elections' certified results of each seat's last election (2022–2025, and the March 2026 nonpartisan school board elections); officials appointed since then may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

Robeson County's 2026 ballot and results · Every North Carolina county · North Carolina's members of Congress

See your members of Congress and every race and measure on your ballot in Robeson County, from your address. Your address stays in your browser.Look up my races

See something wrong on this page? Report a problem · Corrections