N. D. “Rocky” Holcomb III is a candidate for Virginia Beach Sheriff and is running as a Republican. His name will appear on the November 4, 2025 General Election ballot. Holcomb, the incumbent, is running against Peacemaker Aldo, an Independent.
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10 On Your Side reached out to all of the candidates running in this race, with a request for a bio and a list of questions to answer. The bio is unedited; this is what the candidate submitted. If you do not see the candidate listed with a profile, we did not receive one.
Name: N. D. “Rocky” Holcomb III
Age: 57
Website: https://rockyholcombvbsheriff.com/
Party: Republican
Biography
Rocky Holcomb began his law enforcement career in 1991 as a Virginia Beach Deputy Sheriff Recruit.
Under the leadership of former sheriffs, Rocky served with distinction, in every division of the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office. He launched the sheriff’s K-9 unit to assist with the discovery of narcotics and explosives as well as established the region’s first K-9 Unit dedicated to fentanyl detection. Rocky also served as Commander of the Emergency Response Team and Captain of the Criminal Intelligence Unit.
Throughout his 33 years of service, Rocky has passionately advanced the principles of transparency, respect, unity, service, and training. He has prioritized public safety initiatives and citizen accountability. A futurist, Rocky has advanced inmate mental health services, re-entry programs and alternative sentencing opportunities. Rocky continues to ensure that the Sheriff’s Office recruits and maintains premiere law enforcement deputies and personnel realizing that these team members are vital to the success of the office.
Sheriff Rocky Holcomb continues to work hard excelling in every task. His impressive dedication to public safety earned him the position of Chief Deputy in 2018. And in 2023 his leadership, experience, education, and grit facilitated his elevation to the position of Virginia Beach Sheriff. He won the subsequent special election with over 70% of the vote in November 2024.
As Sheriff, Rocky Holcomb has labored to maintain the highest standards of integrity, management, and professionalism in the Sheriff’s Office … guaranteeing the safety of his team, inmates, and the citizens of Virginia Beach.
In addition, Sheriff Holcomb is a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a graduate of Regent University with a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and Management.
In 2017, Rocky won a Special Election to represent the 85th District in the Virginia House of Delegates. He served during the 2017 legislative session.
On August 12, 2021, the Virginia Beach City Council unanimously appointed Rocky to fill the unexpired term of the Kempsville District seat. He then won a Special Election to keep the seat on November 8, 2022. As a member of council, Rocky served as the liaison to many boards, committees, and commissions prior to resigning on September 29, 2023, to become the Sheriff of Virginia Beach.
Sheriff Holcomb and his wife of 30 years are proud residents of Virginia Beach. They have 2 adult children.
If you are elected, what will be your top priority in office?
My top priority in office will always be public safety. There is nothing more important than the safety of this community. I will continue to lead the men and women of the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office in their public safety duties and as we work shoulder-to-shoulder with the Virginia Beach Police Department to keep Virginia Beach the safest city of its size in the country. Essential to public safety are addressing mental health, the opioid epidemic and recidivism, which will continue to be focuses of my administration. I will accomplish this by upholding my leadership values of T.R.U.S.T. – Transparency, Respect, Unity, Service and Training – and maintaining a premier workforce with the training and tools required to deliver the service Virginia Beach citizens expect and deserve.
What is the top challenge facing modern day law enforcement? If elected, how would you address it?
The top challenge facing modern law enforcement – and our community – is mental health. Law enforcement officers are increasingly called to respond to mental health crises, which would be more effectively addressed by mental health practitioners. Local jails have become the default mental health hospitals for the mentally ill. This has to change. I am committed to working with our community partners to divert the mentally ill from jail whenever possible, provide resources and rehabilitation to offenders suffering from mental illness, and help them get on the right path after their release. We need a better mental health system to provide resources for those suffering from mental illness. Too often, those with mental illness are incarcerated for minor offenses because there is no where else for them to go. As a society, we need to provide help before that occurs and options to divert people away from the criminal justice system. For those offenders who commit more serious offenses, we need better resources to provide treatment during their incarceration and a safety net to help them be successful and avoid re-offending after their release. We have made huge strides in this effort at the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office, including by partnering with the Virginia Beach Community Services Board to improve services within the jail. However, there is more work to do, and I am the best candidate to continue to make positive changes on this issue.
How should local law enforcement interact with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement?
The Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office (VBSO) has long maintained a strong and cooperative relationship with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). As Sheriff, I have committed to uphold all laws, including those pertaining to immigration. When an individual is taken into VBSO custody and is identified as being born outside the United States, ICE is promptly notified. ICE determines whether to take the individual into federal custody once we have completed processing them for their local or state charges. If ICE determines that federal charges are warranted, it will issue a detainer or warrant for that individual, which is handled through a separate federal process.
How do you work with others you don’t agree with?
I have a proven record of working with others – including those I don’t agree with – during my time as Sheriff, Virginia Beach City Councilman and Virginia House Delegate. The public is best served when elected officials put aside party politics and work together. I believe we are more alike than different and that Virginia Beach residents all want a safe, prosperous, welcoming place to live, work and raise their families. I will lead by example, communicating clearly and directly, addressing disagreements constructively, and focusing on shared goals and solutions.