{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Susannah McCoury Dibble","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"UNA","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nSusannah Ruth Dibble serves as the Clerk of Superior Court for Avery County [1]. She is a candidate in the 2026 election for this office [1]. Dibble identifies herself as a member of the Republican Party [1]. Her campaign focuses on her educational background, which includes a Criminal Justice Bachelor\u2019s degree completed through Lees-McRae College in 2020 while working full-time at the Avery County Clerk\u2019s office [1]. She states that her educational credentials are the minimum required to support the county within its complex judicial system [1].\n\n## Background and education\n\nSusannah Ruth Dibble, previously known as Susannah McCoury and Suzer McCoury, was born in 1978 to Sammy McCoury and Luci Jo Franklin [1]. She self-describes her educational credentials as the minimum necessary to support Avery County within its complex judicial system [1].\n\nDibble attended Crossnore Elementary School and Avery County Middle School before graduating from Avery County High School in 1997 [1]. In 2020, she completed a Bachelor\u2019s degree in Criminal Justice through Lees-McRae College via online coursework while working full-time at the Avery County Clerk\u2019s office [1].\n\n## Career\n\nSusannah Dibble self-describes as having worked full-time at the Avery County Clerk\u2019s office for over 15 years [1]. During this period of employment, she completed a Criminal Justice Bachelor\u2019s degree online through Lees-McRae College in 2020 [1].\n\nDibble has been associated with small business advocacy in the region, including participation in initiatives supported by the Mayland Community College Small Business Center to assist businesses recovering from Hurricane Helene [2].\n\n## Office history\n\nSusannah Dibble has served as the Clerk of Superior Court for Avery County [1]. She states that she holds over 15 years of experience within the Avery County Clerk\u2019s office [1].\n\n## Family\n\nSusannah Dibble self-describes as previously being Susannah McCoury, and notes that some individuals may have known her prior to 2000 as Suzer McCoury [1]. She states that she was born in 1978 to Sammy McCoury and Luci Jo Franklin [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Susannah McCoury Dibble for Avery County Clerk of Superior Court](https://www.facebook.com/61586517700889/posts/my-name-is-susannah-dibble-previously-susannah-mccoury-but-some-of-you-might-hav/122107376769217256/)\n[2] [Susannah McCoury Dibble for Avery County Clerk of Superior Court](https://www.facebook.com/61586517700889/posts/122115706329217256/)","firstname":"Susannah","lastname":"Dibble","middlename":"Ruth","suffix":null,"token":"0a723c8194f7ae3f"},"token":"JO36AavXcdTBABDz"},{"candidatename":"Teresa I. Benfield","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"According to the North Carolina voter file, Teresa Ingram Benfield is a registered voter in Avery County, North Carolina, registered since 1997 (29 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Teresa Ingram Benfield's year of birth as 1962; NC publishes only the year of birth in its bulk voter export, so day and month are not part of the public record [1].\n\nThe voter history file shows 13 elections voted in since 2016, most recently the 2026-03-03 primary election [2].\n\nThis summary draws only from the public North Carolina voter registration and history records. No additional published biographical information was located. Voters with personal knowledge of Teresa Ingram Benfield can reach ballotproject.org with corrections or additions.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [North Carolina State Board of Elections \u2014 Voter Search](https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/)\n\n[2] North Carolina State Board of Elections voter history file (`ncvhis_Statewide`), published at [dl.ncsbe.gov](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/)","firstname":"Teresa","lastname":"Benfield","middlename":"Ingram","suffix":null,"token":"a30e726026ae2dc9"},"token":"aS1XkD0e6DlWrgW0"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":null,"o.office":"clerk_of_superior_court","office":"clerk_of_superior_court","officedescription":"In North Carolina, the clerk of superior court keeps the records of the trial courts and also serves as an ex-officio judge of probate and over estates, guardianships, and certain special proceedings. It is both a records office and a judicial one.","officequalities":"- Records management for the trial courts, in conformity with North Carolina procedure and the orders of the judges.\n- Judicial responsibility over probate, estates, guardianships, and special proceedings \u2014 the clerk decides these matters.\n- Financial controls for collecting and disbursing court costs, fines, estate funds, and trust funds, with public accountability.\n- Supervision of a clerical staff handling high case volume and frequent statutory deadlines.\n- Attention to legal detail and sensitivity with a public often dealing with death or incapacity.\n- Administrative reliability \u2014 the office's filings are legally binding and its records are evidence.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"Clerk of Superior Court","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Avery County Clerk Of Superior Court"}