Retired chief deputy running to be Mecklenburg County sheriff
Rodney Collins is the third candidate entering the race for Mecklenburg County sheriff next year, the former chief deputy announced in a news release Tuesday.
“There isn’t a candidate with a more vested interest in seeing the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office succeed and reach its potential than me; I grew up in the organization and have worked, supervised, and managed in every major division of the Sheriff’s Office,” he said in a statement.
Collins worked at the sheriff’s office for 30 years before retiring, he said.
So far, he is the candidate with the most experience at the sheriff’s office.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Sgt. Ricky Robbins announced his candidacy earlier this summer. Antwain Nance, a labor union steward and former detention officer, also is running.
Sheriff Garry McFadden has not said whether he will seek reelection. The sheriff spent months mired in controversy last year after Chief Deputy Kevin Canty — who replaced Collins after he retired — left in public fashion and sent a blistering resignation letter to the entire sheriff’s office.
Canty later shared an audio recording with The Charlotte Observer and other news outlets in which McFadden disparaged staff and called a captain a “cracker.”
Collins wants to build new partnerships with private businesses and schools, give incarcerated people more opportunities for “personal development and reintegration back into our community” and “restore accountability,” according to his website.
The primary election is March 3.
Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.
This story was originally published August 5, 2025 at 1:13 PM.