{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Barbara Roseboro Featherson","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nBarbara Roseboro Featherson is the incumbent Democratic commissioner for District 1 on the Columbus County Board of Commissioners, representing Fair Bluff, Boardman, Evergreen, Chadbourn and western Whiteville. She is running for re-election in the November 3, 2026 general election.\n\n## Background and education\n\nFeatherson grew up in a large Black farming family on her mother's 16-acre property in the Mt. Olive community of Columbus County; her family was among the largest Black farm owners in the county, growing wheat, corn and other crops [1]. She graduated from West Columbus High School, then earned a general business certificate from Southeastern Business College in Durham [1].\n\n## Career\n\nAfter returning to Columbus County and passing a civil service exam, Featherson worked as a federal employee in addition to her family's farming work [1].\n\n## Office history\n\nFeatherson was first elected to the District 1 seat, defeating then-incumbent Jerome McMillian by 46 votes in the May 2022 Democratic primary, then winning 82% of the vote in the November 8, 2022 general election against a Republican write-in candidate \u2014 becoming the first Black woman to serve on the Columbus County Board of Commissioners [1].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\n\nFeatherson has said she decided to run for the seat after McMillian, who is also Black, supported then-Sheriff Jody Greene's request for riot gear in June 2020; the board voted 5-2 to deny the request. She told the Border Belt Independent she was \u201cdisappointed in him for voting yes.\u201d McMillian later switched his party registration to Republican and became a chief deputy at the Columbus County Sheriff's Office [1].\n\n## Sources\n\n[1] [In a rural NC county rife with turmoil, voters elect first Black woman to county board](https://borderbelt.org/first-black-woman-elected-to-columbus-county-commissioners-board/) \u2014 Border Belt Independent, published 2022-12-13, accessed 2026-07-19","firstname":"Barbara","lastname":"Featherson","middlename":"Roseboro","suffix":null,"token":"158192c3e15e8393"},"token":"khrTyFMCCQP6uJR5"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":"county_commission","office":"county_commission","officedescription":"A county commissioner is a member of the county's legislative body. The commission approves the county budget, sets the property-tax rate, authorizes borrowing, and passes county resolutions and ordinances. Commissioners are elected from districts (or at-large seats) to represent constituents on countywide policy.","officequalities":"- Policy judgment on countywide matters \u2014 budget, taxes, land use, services, and intergovernmental issues \u2014 within Tennessee county-government law.\n- Budget literacy: the commission approves the county budget, sets the property-tax rate, and authorizes multi-year bond issues.\n- Legislative process: drafting, amending, and voting on resolutions and ordinances; committee work that pre-screens items.\n- Constituent relations in the district \u2014 case-work and community issues flow through the commissioner's office.\n- Willingness to complete the state-required annual continuing education through UT CTAS.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"County Commissioner","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Columbus County Board Of Commissioners District 01"}