Did an AI Video Cost an Election?

A so-called “campaign video” might what costs a sitting Sheriff his seat

Feb 02, 2026

I’ve stayed quiet about local politics for a reason, but the current County Sheriff election has brought me into the discussion.

I hadn't commented before because I don’t know these men personally, I don’t know the behind-the-scenes, I don’t know their positions on topics, and with all that, I’ve learned not to speak about matters I’m not educated on…

I’ve been cordial with both candidates; I know of them, and in passing, we will offer friendly hellos, normal community interactions, but nothing deeper than that, until today. I’m not going to pretend something this ugly (you’ll see what I’m talking about shortly, and most likely agree with me) is “just politics” and keep my mouth shut.

If you’re running for sheriff, the top law enforcement position in the county, and you decide your best move is to push an AI-generated piece instead of real evidence, you’ve disqualified yourself in my eyes.

This is not because I’m sensitive, but because I’m paying attention.

QUICK BACKGROUND

The Republican primary for sheriff is on March 3, 2026.

Kelly Cox is a former Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant who currently works in Craven County and filed to run against Hammonds.

That part is public, verified, and normal.

What isn’t normal is what happened next.

According to Cox’s statement, an AI video was circulated that depicts him recklessly speeding in a patrol car, paired with “half-truths and personal attacks.” He says the video was pushed by the current sheriff and that a campaign content creator threatened to release more AI videos.

Cox’s response didn’t come across as a man scrambling…

It was a man drawing a line in the sand: he said he won’t personally attack Hammonds, he won’t throw mud back, and he wants the race to be about facts, accountability, and leadership.

And that’s why I think this may be the moment Hammonds loses.

People can smell desperation.

If you have real dirt on your opponent, you don’t need AI-generated footage or to spin a “negative narrative.”

You bring receipts, like real video clips, you cite real reports or quotes from real interviews, and you let truth do what truth always does, land heavy on the readers/viewers so they can understand why you feel your opponent is not fit to lead...

AI is what you reach for when you want the emotional impact of evidence without actually having evidence.

The AI video that was circulated, depicting Kelly Cox speeding recklessly in a patrol car, hit different because if you’re willing to manufacture an “image” of your opponent, especially in a law enforcement race, what does that signal to your voters?

You’re telling them you’re comfortable blurring the line between truth and persuasion as long as it benefits you; that is not “campaign strategy,” that is a character reveal.

Here’s why this hits harder than a typical political smear: Sheriffs aren’t running to become influencers.

They’re running to lead an office where truth matters in courtrooms, affidavits, investigations, and public trust. The job is supposed to operate on facts, not vibes, and even local coverage of this race has emphasized that voters should judge candidates on what they’ve done and what they stand for.

Now zoom out, this isn’t just about one video.

This is the disease spreading through American politics, The “Win at all costs, truth be damned” messaging is built on distortion, gossip, and manufactured perception.

We’ve watched it rot national politics for years, and the insult is seeing Washington, DC, get brought to Washington, NC, and the communities around it.

The part that should terrify everybody: AI makes lying cheap.

AI’s “Proof” can be provided without the need for witnesses or evidence; you need a narrative that feels true long enough to stain someone’s name. That’s not campaigning, that’s social sabotage, and once that becomes acceptable, every decent candidate, left, right, or independent, gets punished for not playing dirty.

Fortunately, there’s often a trail one can follow if they’re willing to take a few steps to see how that ad ended up in front of them in the first place…

This part should make everyone’s ears perk up

Tony Krantz uncovered the ad-disclaimer trail and brought it to the public's attention. His point was simple, people don’t realize how much you can learn by clicking the three dots on a political ad and checking who’s paying for it, and that’s what Hammonds is playing to with who he is targeting.

The screenshots he shared show a political ad from Freedom in NC running “fact check” style content targeting Cox, and the “paid for by” disclosure lists QuidAI.

The disclaimer information also lists an address in Edmond, Oklahoma, and names Nico Nathan as the point of contact.

I’m not telling you what to think about that, only that out-of-state money and out-of-state operators are pushing negative messaging in a local sheriff race, and that should set off alarms for anyone who cares about clean elections.

Craven County Would Also Like a Word

Cox also raised a second point that matters; he says the AI content used by Hammonds depicted a patrol car from another county’s sheriff’s office (Craven County) without permission, and he claims the sitting Craven County Sheriff reached out to address the use of his vehicle and department name to Hammonds, and Hammonds refused to return calls about it.

Now, to be as transparent as I am saying these campaigns should be, I’m not in those rooms, and I’m not going to pretend I can verify every detail from my keyboard, but the allegation itself is serious, because public resources and public symbols are not props…

They represent taxpayers, deputies, and credibility.

Here’s what I do know, with 100% certainty: I don’t want leaders who need and are willing to use fake visuals to make their argument. I want leaders who can stand on real work in the real world and focus on the real issues citizens face.

I’m not the one to lie to or around;

I work in media as a photographer and videographer. I know what it means to record reality and to manufacture a story.

And on top of that, I don’t fucking care about people’s opinions or feelings, and I don’t have the capacity to overlook things and accept, “that’s just the way things are.”

Fuck that.

I want things to be great, and for that to happen, we must address anything that falls short.

I’m not a political journalist. I wrote this as an American who has standards for my elected officials and a citizen living in Beaufort County. These sheriffs serve me, my family, and my fellow Belhaven Residents, and that is why this matters.

This isn’t just an election; it’s an opportunity for us to do what is required to turn things around in our area, and that starts with ensuring integrity, not persuasion, is how this race is won.

This will set a precedent for future races for all elected offices. This is the first real article I have written on local politics; it will not be the last…

There’s a difference between using AI to edit faster or clean up audio and using AI to create fake material about a real human being to influence voters.

The second one is poison.

I believe this video will cost Hammonds the election; it fired up Cox, fired up his supporters, moved undecided voters towards Cox, and angered some Hammond supporters...

I hope other elected leaders are paying attention

If Hammonds were to just come out and say, "Listen, AI is new, and we were trying to get creative with a new tool avialable and we made a mistake by going that far," I would be able to put it to bed, but he hasn't, and that is why I am now writing this piece…

The American people are done with the fake-news mudslinging; we want authentic people willing to lead with integrity and transparency.

Using AI to attack Cox was so off-putting to ordinary people who still believe public service should have standards that even those who don’t know what AI is or how to use it are upset that something fake was presented as truth.

The kind of people who don’t want “D.C. politics” infecting “N.C.’s Sheriff’s race” are the kind of people who want the sheriff to act like the sheriff before election day.

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