{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Patrick Kelly","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"According to the North Carolina voter file, Patrick Shelton Kelly is a registered voter in Lee County, North Carolina, registered since 2008 (18 years), with party affiliation listed as Democratic [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Patrick Shelton Kelly's year of birth as 1985; 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 10 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 Patrick Shelton Kelly 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":"Patrick","lastname":"Kelly","middlename":"Shelton","suffix":null,"token":"afdf0ec3148288a8"},"token":"n8wNvnvKPv7R90B5"},{"candidatename":"Chris Gaster","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"According to the North Carolina voter file, Christopher Michael Gaster is a registered voter in Lee County, North Carolina, registered since 1996 (30 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Christopher Michael Gaster'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 9 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 Christopher Michael Gaster 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":"Christopher","lastname":"Gaster","middlename":"Michael","suffix":null,"token":"8c200269036da7f5"},"token":"ujTJPwGCeb7NleMj"},{"candidatename":"Alan Rummel","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Alan Michael Rummel is a Republican candidate seeking one of the three seats on the Lee County Board of Education in the November 2026 general election, with the party primary scheduled for May 17\u202f2026\u202f[11]. In the filing that announced his candidacy, Rummel identified himself as a parent of two children enrolled in the Lee County school system and described his involvement in recent board discussions as that of a concerned community member\u202f[11].\n\nDuring a Curriculum and Instruction Committee meeting on April\u202f6 at Southern Lee High School, Rummel made public remarks about the district\u2019s new \u201cScience of Reading\u201d program, emphasizing the desire of parents\u2014who had been active in classrooms before the COVID\u201119 pandemic\u2014to be invited back into their children\u2019s classrooms\u202f[11]. Following his comments, Democratic board member Patrick\u202fKelly responded, leading Rummel to file an ethics complaint alleging that Kelly made a \u201cpersonal and false accusation/attack\u201d against him\u202f[11]. The complaint also named Committee Chair Christine\u202fHilliard and Board Chair Sandra\u202fBowen, asserting that they failed to intervene during the exchange\u202f[11].\n\nRummel\u2019s complaint prompted a motion by Republican board member Sherry\u202fLynn\u202fWomack to commission an external legal review of the allegations, a motion that was seconded by Republican member Pamela\u202fSutton. The motion was defeated in a 2\u20112 tie, leaving the complaint unresolved at that time\u202f[11]. Democratic members Pat\u202fMcCracken and Dr.\u202fLynn\u202fSmith cited email exchanges between Rummel and Kelly as evidence that the dispute had been settled, a claim Rummel disputed, stating that the board members had selectively quoted his messages\u202f[11]. Kelly later expressed surprise at the filing of the complaint, noting that he believed the issue had already been cleared up\u202f[11].\n\nRummel has said that, while he accepted Kelly\u2019s apology, he pursued the formal complaint on principle, arguing that a board member\u2019s alleged false accusation of a parent constitutes an ethics violation that should be investigated\u202f[11]. His campaign narrative therefore centers on accountability and parental involvement in school governance, particularly regarding curriculum initiatives such as the Science of Reading program\u202f[11].\n\n## Sources\n- [11] [Candidate\u2019s ethics complaint against school board members fails](https://rantnc.com/2022/05/12/candidates-ethics-complaint-against-school-board-members-fails/)","firstname":"Alan","lastname":"Rummel","middlename":"Michael","suffix":null,"token":"7ae7e90b82312a90"},"token":"Oe15DCmTfEuicdDw"},{"candidatename":"Marcus Mason","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"According to the North Carolina voter file, Marcus Phillip Mason is a registered voter in Lee County, North Carolina, registered since 1986 (40 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Marcus Phillip Mason's year of birth as 1966; 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 6 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 Marcus Phillip Mason 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":"Marcus","lastname":"Mason","middlename":"Phillip","suffix":null,"token":"c879b28fecd44f0a"},"token":"x2kouUch-6tEr8it"}],"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":"Lee County Board Of Education"}