Cash On Hand, Spending Patterns Differ Sharply In Sheriff Campaign Reports
JOHNSTON COUNTY — Newly filed campaign finance reports ending December 31, 2025 show a significant fundraising and cash-on-hand advantage for incumbent Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell over Republican challenger Randy Ackley.
According to filings submitted to the State Board of Elections, Sheriff Bizzell reported $91,590 in contributions from individuals during the reporting period, along with $3,000 received from a political action committee, from the Committee To Elect Wayne Coats Sheriff. (Coats is the sheriff in neighboring Harnett County. He is not seeking reelection in 2026.)
The Bizzell campaign began the period with $4,872.58 cash on hand.
Bizzell’s campaign reported total expenditures of $9,142.36, leaving $90,320.22 cash on hand at the close of the reporting period.
Among the largest reported donors to Bizzell’s campaign were attorney Kelly Daughtry of Smithfield, developer Rebecca Flowers of Clayton, and Rebecca Richardson of Kenly, each contributing $5,000. Campaign spending included $4,221.25 paid to SpeedySigns of Florida for printing services.
Republican challenger Randy Ackley reported significantly lower fundraising totals but higher spending during the same period. Ackley’s campaign began with $1,563.49 cash on hand and reported $20,455.26 in contributions from individual donors. The filing also shows Ackley personally loaned his campaign $8,000, bringing total receipts to $29,903.26.
Ackley reported operating expenses totaling $58,819.78 and overall expenditures of $61,468.87. The campaign closed the reporting period with expenditures exceeding donations by $31,565.
Ackley’s largest contributors included developer Rebecca Flowers, who also contributed to Bizzell’s campaign, at $5,000, and Beverly Southerland of Clayton at $2,600.
The largest expense reported by Ackley’s campaign was $31,056.40 paid to Cumulus in Raleigh for political consulting services. Additional expenses included $5,100.18 paid to 231 Market Street Classic Printing for printing services.
Ackley, a former Johnston County sheriff’s detective is challenging incumbent Sheriff Bizzell in the March 3 Republican primary. There is no Democratic opposition for the seat in November.
The year-end filings provide a snapshot of fundraising and spending activity in one of the most closely watched political races in Johnston County.
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This story has been updated
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If you will openly say how much you raised for your campaign, answer those FOIA requests… makes sense right?
You do realize these are totally separate things right?….right??
And this public information. Politicians must report this to the State Board of Elections, and if they don’t, they will be in major trouble. It clearly shows he is in the negative for $31K for his campaign. Voters want to give him $30M of taxpayer’s money for a budget? Come on.
You can see it for yourself by using the link below. Public information, for the sake of transparency.
https://cf.ncsbe.gov/CFOrgLkup/ReportDetail/?RID=228340&TP=ALL
It’s because this is something that is required to be tracked so easily reported. Some of Randy’s requests were sent. The ones not sent were the ones requiring extensive investigation, review, and redaction.. like 27 years worth of recovered stolen property. Millions of text messages sent by various departments etc…
Campaign -31k what’s the Sheriffs Office gonna be if he wins -31 million?
Seems like the disgruntled employees and ********* “supporting” Randy are not actually ready to put there $$$ where their mouth is…
This is why we must not allow the Ackley/Southerland campaign to run the sheriff’s office. If they can’t effectively run their campaign, then how in the world will they be able to manage millions of our taxpayers’ dollars? Ackley is nothing but a sheriff wannabe and throws tantrums when he doesn’t get his way. And for anyone talking about public records request, this has ZERO to do with that and if you truly knew anything about government, you would know that 90% of his requests are part of his tantrums he threw while at the sheriff’s office (as he was hired back three different times).
Well said sir. Go ahead and waste that money Mr Southerland. Easy come easy go.
Ackley doesn’t commit to anything. If only half of you knew.
The sheriff makes 205000 a year unit bad for a job that everyone else does for him
If you think that’s an advantage, wait until you see the votes.
Money buys elections. #nuffSaid
Steve Bizzell could go about and not spend a single dollar and he would still win…
I agree. The pattern is becoming clear, and others are recognizing the cascade as well.
Democrats raised over a billion dollars for Kamala. JS
Did we ever find out how many copiers the sheriffs office had ???? inquiring minds want to know, I mean this is something a former detective had put his heart and soul into sooooooo.
Steve’s always been fair, never had a problem getting access to him, from my experience he runs that department similar to how I raised my children, praise em when they do good and help em if they fall short. Good common sense ! which isn’t common anymore. He knows right from wrong and takes action as needed. My votes for Him.
Becky Flowers donating to both sides should say everything you need to know
Yea Becky smart, 5g ain’t nothin for her, and a little insurance just in case nobody shows up to vote except for criminals, and former employees that couldn’t cut it and by some unfortunate miracle Andy Southerland got elected she’s covered
I don’t live in Joco so as an outsider looking in is wondering why no one is asking what happens with the $90,000 in unspent money in the Bizzell cash on hand account??? It will be interesting to see what organization or group gets to benefit from this. Why raise the money if you don’t plan to use it for the campaign?
How it works… It’s NOT REALLY A BIG PROBLEM, NOR A SURPRISE! Steve gets to pass SOME $$ on to the next-probably/GOP/ neighboring Sheriff Candidate more than likely in close proximity to Johnston County. After Steve pays his BILLS FROM THIS ELECTION, he passes it on!! WHAT is wrong with that??!!! (Not saying that you personally have problems with it..) BUT–it is better to pass some of that AWESOME amount ON to your neighbors! Keeps that much more of the OTHER NONSENSE BS PAC $ out of that next, and neighboring CAMPAIGN! Whether Liberal, or Conservative this is the convenient solution–PASS IT ON… SO WHAT ??? Both parties must report these contributions, so it doesn’t matter!! Not a big surprise!! REALLY??? It’s a matter of “Like for Like”– So you might consider calling it PRAGMATISM!!
It may not matter to you but it should matter to the people who contributed to his election. They gave with the intent for it to be used on HIS campaign. Not someone in another county.
Let’s put it to rest