{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Kelleta Govan","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Kelleta Govan is the Democratic candidate for the District\u202f1 seat on the Dare County Board of Education in the 2026 general election scheduled for November\u202f3,\u202f2026. The seat is open after incumbent Barry Wickre announced he will not seek re\u2011election, and the winner of the March\u202f3 Republican primary will face Govan in the November contest [11].\n\nThe District\u202f1 seat is one of the positions on the Dare County Board of Education, the elected body that governs public schools in Dare County. Members of the board are responsible for setting policy, adopting the school budget, and overseeing the county\u2019s superintendent and school system. The board\u2019s work directly affects the education of students across the district.\n\nThe race has attracted attention in the local press, with early voting for the March\u202f3 primary beginning on Thursday, February\u202f12, at three locations: the County Administration Building in Manteo, Kill Devil Hills Town Hall, and the Fessenden Center Annex in Buxton [11]. While the Republican candidates have provided detailed statements about their qualifications and priorities, the public record currently offers no biographical details, education history, or professional experience for Govan beyond her candidacy as the Democratic nominee.\n\nBecause no specific platform statements or prior public service records for Govan are included in the available source, voters seeking more information about her positions on curriculum, school funding, or other education issues will need to consult additional campaign communications or future public statements. The election will determine who will help shape the direction of Dare County\u2019s public schools for the coming term.\n\n## Sources\n- [11] [The Outer Banks Voice - District 1 Board of Education candidates on their qualifications and priorities](https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2026/02/10/district-1-board-of-education-candidates-on-their-qualifications-and-priorities/)","firstname":"Kelleta","lastname":"Govan","middlename":"Daniels","suffix":null,"token":"2b68243f4a6cd987"},"token":"wLUFW6uktjBLzrkx"},{"candidatename":"Stephen Nichols","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nStephen Dwight Nichols won the March 3, 2026 Republican primary for Dare County Board of Education, District 1, with 2,733 votes (43.0%), defeating Christie Baer (2,063 votes, 32.5%) and Shannon Walters (1,556 votes, 24.5%). He will appear on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot against Democratic nominee Kelleta Govan [1].\n\n## Background\nAccording to the North Carolina voter file, Stephen Dwight Nichols is a registered voter in Dare County, North Carolina, registered since 2003 (23 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [2].\n\nThe voter file shows Stephen Dwight Nichols's year of birth as 1963; 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 7 elections voted in since 2016, most recently the 2026-03-03 primary election [3].\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 Stephen Dwight Nichols can reach ballotproject.org with corrections or additions.\n\n## Sources\n[1] North Carolina State Board of Elections, certified March 3, 2026 primary/election results by precinct (`results_pct_20260303.txt`), published at [dl.ncsbe.gov](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2026_03_03/results_pct_20260303.zip) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-24\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/)\n","firstname":"Stephen","lastname":"Nichols","middlename":"Dwight","suffix":null,"token":"ce081b9cd180f566"},"token":"947XJppfqAetKmeA"}],"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":"Dare County Board Of Education District 01"}