{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Charles Hickman","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nCharles Earl Hickman III is the Republican incumbent representing District 2 on the Beaufort County Board of Education and has filed for a second term in the 2026 election cycle [11]. He first won the seat in the November 8, 2022 general election, defeating Democratic candidate E.C. Peed [1][2].\n\n## Background and education\n\nHickman was born and raised in Beaufort County. He is a graduate of Chocowinity High School and East Carolina University, where he earned degrees in geography and history [12]. He is a U.S. Army veteran who worked as an intelligence analyst, served on a Nuclear Surety Emergency Action Team, and taught the Nuclear Surety Certification Course [12].\n\n## Career\n\nHickman has worked as a teacher in Beaufort County, teaching U.S. History and World History, and founded and operated a small business, Movies & Mercantile [12].\n\n## Office history\n\nElected to the Beaufort County Board of Education, District 2, in the November 8, 2022 general election; filed for a second term ahead of the 2026 election cycle [1][11].\n\n## Sources\n\n[1] [Charles Hickman III (Beaufort County Board of Education District 2, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Charles_Hickman_III_(Beaufort_County_Board_of_Education_District_2,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2022))\n\n[2] [Charles Hickman (Beaufort County Board of Education District 2, North Carolina, candidate 2026) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Charles_Hickman_(Beaufort_County_Board_of_Education_District_2,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2026))\n\n[11] [Charles Hickman has filed for School Board in District 2 \u2013 Eastern NC Now](https://www.beaufortcountynow.com/post/93668/charles-hickman-has-filed-for-school-board-in-district-2.html)\n\n[12] [Charles Hickman Biography \u2013 Eastern North Carolina Now](https://www.beaufortcountynow.com/post/57611/charles-hickman-biography.html)","firstname":"Charles","lastname":"Hickman","middlename":"Earl","suffix":"III","token":"8bebeffdbd364ac4"},"token":"2TqthRzRmwb6WtgH"},{"candidatename":"Austin Garrison","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"According to the North Carolina voter file, Austin William Garrison is a registered voter in Beaufort County, North Carolina, registered since 2023 (3 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Austin William Garrison's year of birth as 2004; 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 4 elections voted in since 2024, 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 Austin William Garrison 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":"Austin","lastname":"Garrison","middlename":"William","suffix":null,"token":"25c8bb224674ff16"},"token":"RTIV72eujMq6b-SC"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"school_board","o.office":"county_school_board","office":"county_school_board","officedescription":"A school board member serves on the elected body that governs a public school district. The board sets district policy and budget priorities and hires and evaluates the superintendent, while leaving day-to-day management to the administration.","officequalities":"- Policy judgment for a public school district \u2014 setting direction while leaving day-to-day management to the superintendent.\n- Budget literacy for operating and capital budgets, in coordination with the county commission (which appropriates) and the state.\n- Ability to hire, evaluate, and when necessary replace the superintendent \u2014 the board's highest-stakes recurring decision.\n- Constituent relations with parents, teachers, principals, and community members.\n- Willingness to complete the state-required annual training through the Tennessee School Boards Association.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"County School Board Member","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Beaufort County Board Of Education District 02"}