{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Randy Phillips","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nDavid Randall Phillips, known as Randy Phillips, is a Republican candidate for the Cherokee County Schools Board of Education at-large seat in the 2026 general election. Phillips won the March 2026 Republican primary.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Unaffiliated candidates running for school board \u2013 Cherokee Scout](https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-newsletter/unaffiliated-candidates-running-school-board)","firstname":"David","lastname":"Phillips","middlename":"Randall","suffix":null,"token":"3c48fdad32a17010"},"token":"Hv0GkCedNOByOQYh"},{"candidatename":"Stephen Dartez","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nStephen Wayne Dartez, an Andrews businessman, ran in the March 3, 2026 Republican primary for the Cherokee County Board of Education at-large seat, losing to former county commissioner Randy Phillips, who won 59.92% of the vote. Dartez will not appear on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot [1].\n\n## Background\nAccording to the North Carolina voter file, Dartez is a registered voter in Cherokee County, North Carolina, registered since 2015 (11 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [2].\n\nThe voter file shows Dartez's year of birth as 1981; NC publishes only the year of birth in its bulk voter export, so day and month are not part of the public record [2].\n\nThe voter history file shows 5 elections voted in since 2016, most recently the 2026-03-03 primary election [3].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Voters toss incumbents in Cherokee County elections \u2013 Cherokee Scout](https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-news/voters-toss-incumbent-cherokee-county-commissioners)\n[2] [North Carolina State Board of Elections \u2014 Voter Search](https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/)\n[3] North Carolina State Board of Elections voter history file (`ncvhis_Statewide`), published at [dl.ncsbe.gov](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/)","firstname":"Stephen","lastname":"Dartez","middlename":"Wayne","suffix":null,"token":"4bf4ec278435e738"},"token":"eagqbmiPbuz1NPpb"}],"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":"Cherokee County Board Of Education At-Large"}