APRIL FOOLS: Ellie Kinnaird Write-In Candidate For OC Sheriff?

There is no known campaign to place Ellie Kinnaird on the November ballot as a write-in candidate. Did this year’s April Fools story get you? Do you remember last year’s story? A special thank you to Commissioner Mark Dorosin for playing along and to Ellie Kinnaird for being such a good sport in our annual prank.

Ellie called the WCHL newsroom Tuesday morning after hearing the story and said, “you left one thing out: I’d look good in the uniforms!”

CARRBORO – Six men are vying to be Orange County’s next sheriff, and with no Republican challenger, most assume the contest will be decided in the Democratic primary next month. But a grassroots campaign to get a write-in candidate on the ballot in November is drawing attention county-wide.

“I think Ellie would make a great sheriff. I think she would bring to Orange County law enforcement the same kind of tough but fair-minded attitude she brought to both Carrboro and the General Assembly,” said Commissioner Mark Dorosin, responding to word that some are trying to draft former Carrboro Mayor and North Carolina Senator Ellie Kinnaird for the job as the county’s top law enforcement officer.

Dorosin says Kinnaird would likely bring significant changes to the department.

“The quality of the food served in the jail would improve, everything would be organic from the Carrboro Farmers Market, as well as I think you’d see the sheriff’s vehicles all switched to bio-diesel and the prison buses run on natural gas.”

After eight and a half terms in the General Assembly, Kinnaird stepped down from the state senate last year to pursue voter-outreach efforts, but supporters say they want to see Kinnaird take a more hands-on approach to bringing justice to Orange County. They’re mounting a campaign to collect enough signatures from registered voters to get Kinnaird’s name on the November ballot as a write-in candidate.

It’s not clear that Kinnaird herself has endorsed the campaign; she could not be reached for comment on this story.

Kinnaird has no law enforcement experience, but she holds a law degree and has served on the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety. During her time in the General Assembly, she gained a reputation as a tough negotiator, an attitude Dorosin says would serve her well as sheriff.

“You’d see a strong reduction in crime with Ellie as sheriff. She will take no nonsense.”

APRIL FOOLS: Ellie Kinnaird Write-In Candidate For OC Sheriff?

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