{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Ronnie Grigg","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"According to the North Carolina voter file, Ronnie Everette Grigg is a registered voter in Cleveland County, North Carolina, registered since 2012 (14 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Ronnie Everette Grigg's year of birth as 1957; 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 Ronnie Everette Grigg 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":"Ronnie","lastname":"Grigg","middlename":"Everette","suffix":null,"token":"f53e55f9a4c181fb"},"token":"3cioag8OuvbGeAYo"},{"candidatename":"Danny Lee Blanton","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nDanny Lee Blanton is a Republican member of the Cleveland County Board of Education, first elected in 2013, seeking re-election on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot [1][2].\n\n## Career\nBlanton traces his path to the board to a personal investigation into alleged financial mismanagement at Cleveland County Schools between 2009 and 2011; he says his findings exposed improper credit-card usage that led to tighter financial controls and personnel changes, and that this motivated his first run for the board, which he won in 2013 [2]. He has served three years on the Rutherford-Cleveland County Workforce Board and on the county's DSS Advisory Board, and currently sits on the county's Health and DSS Governing Board and the school board's own Safety and Operations Committee [2].\n\n## Office history\nThe Cleveland County Board of Education has nine at-large seats; Blanton has served continuously since his 2013 election and is listed as a sitting member on the district's current board roster [1].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\nBlanton has emphasized career-technical education, teacher retention and school safety during his tenure, saying repeated staff turnover harms students: \"It's time for our school system to stop having resignations every month.\" He says school governance should stay non-partisan: \"It's about the children, not Democrat, Republican or Unaffiliated.\" [2]\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\nIn July 2022, Blanton drew public criticism after sharing a Facebook post showing a wooden paddle bearing the words \"Make Kids Great Again\" next to the American flag. A parent, Keri Miller, publicly objected, citing research on the harms of physical punishment on children and raising concern about a board member's judgment. Blanton said the post reflected his personal opinion rather than a policy proposal: \"That was my personal opinion. That was not me saying 'bring that thing back and we wear every kid out. No, absolutely no.'\" He said he believed corporal punishment had benefited him as a student. North Carolina law allows school districts to permit corporal punishment with parental notification, but Cleveland County Schools' own policy prohibits it \u2014 a distinction Blanton acknowledged knowing [3].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Board of Education - Cleveland County Schools](https://www.clevelandcountyschools.org/board-of-education) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-19\n[2] [Facing the voters: Danny Blanton \u2013 School Board](https://www.shelbyindependent.com/post/facing-the-voters-danny-blanton-school-board)\n[3] [\u2018My opinion:\u2019 Cleveland Co. School Board member defends Facebook post he shared displaying a paddle - WBTV](https://www.wbtv.com/2022/07/13/my-opinion-cleveland-co-school-board-member-defends-facebook-post-he-shared-displaying-paddle/)","firstname":"Danny","lastname":"Blanton","middlename":"Lee","suffix":null,"token":"7dbcbde078689db9"},"token":"02Wa5DQtI_oz4t83"},{"candidatename":"Aaron Bridges","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Aaron Daniel Bridges is a Republican incumbent serving as Vice Chairman of the Cleveland County Board of Education in North Carolina and is a candidate for a Republican seat on the same board in the November 3, 2026 election.  In 2022 he won his first seat on the four\u2011member board, appearing on the general\u2011election ballot on November 8, 2022 after advancing from a crowded Republican primary that included seven other candidates [1].  He now seeks re\u2011election to continue the work he began during his first term.\n\nBridges grew up in Cleveland County and attended the local public schools, beginning at Jefferson Elementary and graduating from Kings Mountain High School.  He currently resides in Shelby with his wife and their four children, all of whom are enrolled in Cleveland County schools from pre\u2011K through 12th grade [9].  No higher\u2011education credentials are listed in the available sources.\n\nSince taking office, Bridges has focused on several key issues for the district.  He has highlighted teacher and staff retention as a major challenge, arguing that low pay drives educators to leave the profession or move to neighboring states.  To address this, the board, in partnership with county commissioners, instituted a 10\u202f% salary supplement for teachers and a 4\u202f% supplement for support staff, paid twice a year [9].  Bridges has advocated for increased state education funding to sustain these raises.\n\nBridges also opposed two controversial board actions.  He voted against a policy that would limit board members\u2019 ability to speak with the media, asserting that elected officials must remain accountable to the public.  He also voted against the proposed sale of the Marion Elementary School property, citing community concerns and the need for greater public input before proceeding.  The board subsequently paused the sale [9].\n\nAcademic performance has been another focus.  Bridges points to rising test scores and higher graduation rates, noting that many students graduate with an associate\u2019s degree or have taken college courses through Cleveland Community College.  He attributes these gains to the district\u2019s return to in\u2011person instruction after the COVID\u201119 pandemic and to new instructional strategies implemented by the board [9].\n\nIn addition to his board duties, Bridges has been active in community outreach, emphasizing the importance of listening to diverse perspectives among board members and constituents.  He describes his role as a logical decision\u2011maker who seeks to balance fiscal responsibility with educational quality.\n\nBridges can be contacted via the email address listed on his Ballotpedia profile, electaaronbridgesboe@gmail.com, which is provided for voters to request additional information or to submit survey responses [1].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Aaron Bridges (Cleveland County Board of Education, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Aaron_Bridges_(Cleveland_County_Schools,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2022))\n- [2] [Aaron Bridges (Cleveland County Board of Education, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Aaron_Bridges_(Cleveland_County_Board_of_Education,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2022))\n- [4] [Vote-USA | Aaron Bridges | Previous Candidate for Cleveland County Board of Education, Cleveland County, North Carolina](https://vote-usa.org/Intro.aspx?State=NC&Id=NCBridgesAaron)\n- [9] [Aaron Bridges, Cleveland County School Board Vice Chairman Seeks Re-Election - Wise News Network](https://wisenewsnetwork.com/stories/aaron-bridges-cleveland-county-school-board-vice-chairman-seeks-re-election,4765)","firstname":"Aaron","lastname":"Bridges","middlename":"Daniel","suffix":null,"token":"72d2a9a7ef72169f"},"token":"8Yq0R-o4PdbDZv0C"},{"candidatename":"Robert Queen","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"According to the North Carolina voter file, Robert Paul Queen is a registered voter in Cleveland County, North Carolina, registered since 1999 (27 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Robert Paul Queen's year of birth as 1967; 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 18 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 Robert Paul Queen 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":"Robert","lastname":"Queen","middlename":"Paul","suffix":null,"token":"a26a210004fa5e13"},"token":"SLyBZCQYVK9xWpcG"},{"candidatename":"Coleman Hunt","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"According to the North Carolina voter file, Coleman  Hunt is a registered voter in Cleveland County, North Carolina, registered since 1972 (54 years), with party affiliation listed as Democratic [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Coleman  Hunt's year of birth as 1951; 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 15 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 Coleman  Hunt 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":"Coleman","lastname":"Hunt","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"e7f2d9e448489802"},"token":"5lhi_szKppVxd2Os"},{"candidatename":"Jenny White","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJennifer Blalock White, who appears on the ballot as Jenny White, is a Democratic candidate for the Cleveland County Board of Education in the 2026 general election. She filed for the race in December 2025 and resides in Kings Mountain, North Carolina.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [2026 General Candidate List \u2013 Cleveland County Board of Elections](https://www.clevelandcounty.com/main/11032026%20candidates.pdf)","firstname":"Jennifer","lastname":"White","middlename":"Blalock","suffix":null,"token":"53f0a12cc2b4f83c"},"token":"z5oSyEMV-QfLXjjO"}],"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":4,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Cleveland County Board Of Education"}