Sampson County Clerk of Court Chris Fann has decided not to file for re-election in December, opting, instead, to leave at the end of his term in December 2026.
“After much prayer and thoughtful consideration, I have decided not to file for a third term as Clerk of Superior Court,” Fann said in prepared remarks. “While my health is still good, I plan to spend more time with my family and friends, and maybe even dust off my golf clubs and work on my handicap.”
In a telephone interview Monday night, Fann said he decided now would be a good time to announce his intentions, giving others a chance to decide whether or not to throw their hat into the political arena.
“I really didn’t want to wait until the last minute to make a decision. The filing period opens Dec. 1, I believe, so it seemed appropriate for me to let folks know my intentions now.”
Fann said the decision was not an easy one to make, especially given his love of the job and the people he has worked with since taking office.
“I want to sincerely thank each of you for your support and friendship over the years. It has been an incredible privilege to serve in this role,” he wrote in a letter he intended to send out to family, friends and supporters. He shared the news with his staff late Monday afternoon.
“I’m especially proud of how we came together during the challenges of the pandemic and successfully implemented the Enterprise Justice (Odyssey) platform. While it continues to be a “work in progress,” I am proud of the resilience of my colleagues and judicial partners involved.”
In the phone interview, Fann said he had “greatly enjoyed” the time he had spent working with his “dedicated” staff.
“They are a great group of people and I can’t thank them enough for the hard work they have done every minute of my tenure. We have had a great working relationship, too, with our judicial partners, both at the state and local level, and I appreciate that as well.”
Fann, who was elected to the position in 2018, said he has learned a lot since taking office. “And the one thing I think I’ve learned more than anything is that the more you learn, the more there is to learn.”
But one thing he said he knew for certain and that was how much he had enjoyed the job and appreciated the support given to him by constituents during he tenure.
“Serving as Clerk of Superior Court has been one of the greatest honors of my life. It has truly, truly been a humbling experience.”