{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Joe Smith","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nJoseph Bruce Smith is a candidate for Greene County Board of Education in Greene County, North Carolina, in the 2026 election cycle. The North Carolina primary is scheduled for March 3, 2026, with the general election on November 3, 2026.\n\nNo additional biographical information is currently available for this candidate. Voters seeking more information are encouraged to contact local news sources, the county Board of Elections, or the candidate's campaign directly.","firstname":"Joseph","lastname":"Smith","middlename":"Bruce","suffix":null,"token":"4fef5e7f8283a9e2"},"token":"ehHS6y4DmjSSYSXX"},{"candidatename":"Leisa Edwards Batts","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"According to the North Carolina voter file, Leisa Denise Batts is a registered voter in Greene County, North Carolina, registered since 1999 (27 years), with party affiliation listed as Democratic [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Leisa Denise Batts's year of birth as 1971; 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 Leisa Denise Batts 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":"Leisa","lastname":"Batts","middlename":"Denise","suffix":null,"token":"a48be64ee225bcfe"},"token":"CbhAUSW2xV8yHJC3"},{"candidatename":"Holly Medlin","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Holly Medlin is a Republican candidate for the Greene County Board of Education in the 2026 North Carolina general election, which will be held on November 3, 2026. The Board of Education election includes three Democratic candidates\u2014Leisa Batts, Darius Shackleford, and Natasha Sutton\u2014and three Republican candidates\u2014Mason Dyer, Joe Smith, and Holly Medlin, as listed by local news coverage of the race [12]. The article also notes that 2,147 voters participated in the March primary for Greene County, providing context for voter engagement in the upcoming election [12]. No additional biographical details, such as education, professional experience, or policy positions, are provided in the source.\n\n## Sources\n- [12] [Meet your Greene County Candidates for the 2026 Election](https://wcti12.com/elections/local/meet-your-greene-county-candidates-for-the-2026-election)","firstname":"Holly","lastname":"Medlin","middlename":"Hudyma","suffix":null,"token":"56a0f80b8a98550d"},"token":"BqyrPA3yipbsluxs"},{"candidatename":"Mason R. Dyer","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"According to the North Carolina voter file, Mason Russell Dyer is a registered voter in Greene County, North Carolina, registered since 1998 (28 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Mason Russell Dyer's year of birth as 1974; 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 14 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 Mason Russell Dyer 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":"Mason","lastname":"Dyer","middlename":"Russell","suffix":null,"token":"c18315fd1ffabb3f"},"token":"2Se-AIW0Gynbmf4q"},{"candidatename":"Natasha Sutton","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nNatasha Sutton is a Democratic candidate running for the Greene County Board of Education in North Carolina [3]. She filed her candidacy with the Greene County Board of Elections ahead of the general election scheduled for November 3, 2026 [3][4].\n\n## Background\n\nNatasha Sutton is a resident of Greene County, North Carolina [1]. She identifies as a Democrat and has filed to run for the Greene County Board of Education [3]. Specific details regarding her profession, business ownership, or volunteer work are not confirmed by any source located and are omitted here.\n\n## Office history\n\nSutton previously ran for District 3 on the Greene County Board of Commissioners in the 2022 election, losing to incumbent commissioner Johnnie L. Smith Jr., who retained the seat; she did not serve on the board [1][2].\n\nMost recently, Sutton filed as a Democratic candidate for the Greene County Board of Education during the filing period that concluded on December 19, 2025, and is listed among the candidates for the November 3, 2026 general election [3][4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Natasha Sutton (Greene County Board of Commissioners District 3, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Natasha_Sutton_(Greene_County_Board_of_Commissioners_District_3,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2022))\n[2] [Greene County, North Carolina, elections, 2022 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Greene_County,_North_Carolina,_elections,_2022)\n[3] [Filing ends today at noon! Natasha Sutton has filed as a democratic candidate - Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/greenencboe/posts/filing-ends-today-at-noonnatasha-sutton-has-filed-as-a-democratic-candidate-for-/1291712576315065/)\n[4] [Greene County Board of Education Member | November 3, 2026 - branch.vote](https://branch.vote/races/2026-north-carolina-general-election-nc-state-county-board-of-education-member-nc-county-greene)","firstname":"Natasha","lastname":"Sutton","middlename":"Sherri","suffix":null,"token":"ea98f9a8fab2fe13"},"token":"5nt93scrhmSsB9A0"},{"candidatename":"Darius F. Shackleford","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Darius Felix Shackleford is a Democratic candidate for an at\u2011large seat on the Greene County Board of Education in the 2026 North Carolina general election. The board sets policy, oversees the county\u2019s public schools, and is responsible for budgeting, curriculum decisions, and hiring of superintendents. \n\nShackleford is a 67\u2011year\u2011old retired veteran who lives at 687 Moore Rouse Rd in Snow Hill. He has spent more than three decades volunteering with youth and, after his military service, has been active in community initiatives aimed at supporting children from high\u2011risk environments. His public profile does not list formal higher\u2011education credentials, but his life experience includes overcoming personal challenges, having been clean from drug addiction for over 35 years. [5]\n\nProfessionally, Shackleford\u2019s career was in the armed forces, after which he retired. He has not held elected office before 2022, but he was sworn in as a member of the Greene County Board of Education on December 19, 2022, following his successful 2022 campaign for an at\u2011large seat. The swearing\u2011in was reported by local news and confirms his prior service on the board. [8] In the 2022 election he ran alongside two other Democrats and one Republican for three at\u2011large seats, appearing on the November 8 general\u2011election ballot. [1]\n\nDuring a Q&A with The Standard newspaper, Shackleford outlined his motivations and priorities. He said he wants to move from \u201cworking with kids\u201d to influencing policy, positioning himself as an \u201copen ear\u201d for teachers, parents, and students. He highlighted teacher recruitment and retention, class\u2011size reduction, and the recent funding for a new high school as key issues. He also emphasized increasing diversity among staff and students, drawing on his personal experience with addiction and community violence to inform his perspective. [5]\n\nShackleford\u2019s platform therefore centers on improving teacher recruitment, maintaining manageable class sizes, leveraging new facilities to address space constraints, and fostering a more diverse and inclusive school environment. His prior board service gives him experience with the board\u2019s procedural responsibilities, and his community\u2011volunteer background provides a grassroots connection to families across Greene County. \n\nIf elected in 2026, Shackleford would bring a blend of veteran discipline, long\u2011term youth advocacy, and firsthand experience with the challenges faced by students in economically distressed areas, aiming to shape policies that support both educators and learners in Greene County.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Darius Shackleford (Greene County Board of Education, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Darius_Shackleford_(Greene_County_Board_of_Education,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2022))\n- [5] [Q&A: Greene County Board of Education | The Standard News | reflector.com](https://www.reflector.com/standard/news/local/q-a-greene-county-board-of-education/article_3a9517c9-48c4-59c8-adf1-5ee9572f186b.html)\n- [8] [Greene County Board of education Swears in New Board Members \u2014 Neuse News](https://www.neusenews.com/index/2022/12/21/greene-county-board-of-education-swears-in-new-board-members)","firstname":"Darius","lastname":"Shackleford","middlename":"Felix","suffix":null,"token":"23ab39da48dd35f5"},"token":"K95dnffwt2_JWONs"}],"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":3,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Greene County Board Of Education"}