LEXINGTON – A group of Davidson County residents challenging former Davidson County sheriff Gerald Hege’s bid to get his old job back could get a hearing next week.

The Davidson County Board of Elections dismissed the group’s original complaints Tuesday because the challengers failed to give complete addresses and telephone numbers and because their affidavits did not say what they wanted officials to do about Hege’s candidacy.

In their new affidavits, the challengers say they want Hege’s name removed from the ballot. Early primary voting began April 15. Hege is one of three Republicans in the primary. The elections board is scheduled to meet next Monday.

“We do not want a convicted felon elected sheriff,” said Melisia Prout, the president of Salvation’s Way and a Forsyth County resident who organized the challenge. The challengers say Hege, a convicted felon, would be in direct violation of N.C. G.S. 14-415.1 if elected because he would have control over firearms in the sheriff’s department.

“I respect their right to do this,” Hege said after the dismissal. “That does not upset me. The president of the United States does not carry a firearm. He can blow up the world in about 2 minutes. And the governor as head of the National Guard does not carry a weapon. I see no big deal with it. As sheriff, I would have no need to grab a firearm every morning when I wake up.”

Hege claims the complaint does not make sense and should have been handled before voting started.

“The state constitution allows me to run for office, and you can’t change the constitution by protest,” Hege said. “Time is running out.”

State law allows for residents to challenge candidates no later than 10 business days after the close of the candidate’s filing periods, but because the complaints were filed last week, the board determined they were a protest and not a challenge.

Prout, a former Davidson County resident, couldn’t sign an affidavit.

“I do not support any candidate in this election,” she said.

The board could hear the complaints at any time while voters cast their ballots, said County Attorney Chuck Frye.

“The statute allows an amended protest, and they can file that at any time,” Frye said. “The board can consider this if the protest meets the legal requirements and then decide on when a hearing can be held. There is also a potential that the hearing may not be held until after the election.”

Hege resigned as sheriff in 2004 after pleading guilty to two felony counts of obstruction of justice for attempting to cover up money missing from the vice and narcotics unit of the sheriff’s department.

dnivens@hpe.com | 888-3626

Legal challenge

–

Qualifications: Under state statute, grounds for filing a challenge or protest include a candidate’s constitutional fitness for office. According to state law, it’s “unlawful for any person who has been convicted of a felony to purchase, own, possess or have in custody, care or control any firearm or any weapon of mass death and destruction.”