Dare County residents have voiced concerns over the choice of the regional GOP leader—who formerly, during his time of employment as a police officer, was convicted of multiple counts of indecent liberties with a child—as the event moderator for the Dare GOP’s recent forum for board of education candidates.

The 2026 primary election takes place on Tuesday, March 3, with early voting kicking off next month and absentee voting already underway. Across the Outer Banks, voters’ primary ballots depend on their geographic location and political party affiliation.

The Dare County Board of Elections certified the results of the 2025 municipal election in its Friday, Nov. 14, canvass meeting, including a Kitty Hawk mayoral race decided by three votes.

Voters in the towns of Kitty Hawk and Manteo have selected new mayors, with the Kitty Hawk mayoral race decided by two votes, according to unofficial North Carolina State Board of Elections results published Tuesday night. The 2025 municipal election cycle included a total of 20 local governing board seats across the six towns in Dare County.

In this year’s municipal election, two incumbent leaders in the Town of Kill Devil Hills and two incumbent leaders in the Town of Southern Shores are all running unopposed for reelection.

In this year’s municipal election for the Town of Manteo, two candidates are running for the contested mayor seat, while three other candidates are running unopposed for three open town council seats.

In this year’s municipal election for the Town of Nags Head, three candidates are running for two open commissioner seats, another three candidates are running for one open unexpired term commissioner seat and the mayor’s race is uncontested.

In this year’s municipal election for the Town of Kitty Hawk, two candidates are running for the contested mayor seat, while two others are running unopposed for open town council seats.

Six candidates are running for the five available town council seats in the Town of Duck. The town’s next mayor will be selected from among the incoming council members.

Voters residing within the town limits of Duck, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, Manteo and Southern Shores are eligible to cast ballots in the upcoming election.

Last-minute changes made to legislation in the state Senate in June would have banned all shrimp trawling in the state’s inshore waters and within a half-mile of the shoreline for four years. After a hastily organized lobbying campaign from shrimpers and their allies, the legislature put the trawling ban on ice—for now.

The webpage of all elected officials in Dare County lists an address for a county commissioner that is outside of the district in which he’s required to live to represent, but he said his “primary” address is within the district.

Mayors of the six towns in Dare County co-signed a letter addressed to all the members of the North Carolina General Assembly “regarding S205 and similar bills,” sharing concerns over proposals they see as restricting local authority.

Outer Banks leaders and legislators have voiced opposition to an amended bill that they say would “irreparably damage” the Outer Banks’ shrimping industry.

An estimated 800 to 1,000 people participated in the “No Kings” protest in Nags Head on Saturday.

North Carolina automobile owners will see an average 5% auto insurance increase starting Oct. 1 following the settlement North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey negotiated with the North Carolina Rate Bureau.

A total of four prospective Republican candidates have publicized plans to run for Dare County sheriff in 2026. Official candidate filing has not yet taken place.

Two hopeful Republican candidates recently announced plans to run for Dare County sheriff in 2026. Official candidate filing has not yet taken place.

The consultant for a company that proposed a zoning text amendment to remove the 1988 multifamily density cap for a roughly 7-mile-long area of Frisco and Buxton said the plan is to wait, even though the Dare County Board of Commissioners’ tabling of the amendment Monday for 90 days does not prevent the applicant or anyone else from building in the “Zone of Influence” area in question, according to county staff.

Local governments across the Outer Banks are pushing back on what they view as North Carolina General Assembly’s continuing movement toward consolidating more power at the state level. County governments also have resolutions of opposition to proposed ferry tolls on next week's agendas.