{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Tony A. Jenkins","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nTony Albert Jenkins is a Republican candidate for the Lincoln County Board of Education at-large seat in 2026, facing Democrat Keith Poston in the November general election. He is an incumbent, having previously served on the board from 2000\u20132008, 2012\u20132016, and 2018\u20132022.\n\nJenkins emphasizes competitive pay and personnel retention, board independence from administration, and constructing a new school on the eastern side of Lincoln County to address population growth. During his first term he helped develop a building plan that resulted in the construction of several new schools, including securing two bond approvals from the county commission.\n\n## Background and education\nJenkins was born and raised in Lincoln County, North Carolina. He attended Lincolnton City Schools from 1960 to 1973 and graduated from Lincolnton High School in 1973.\n\n## Career\nJenkins began working at age 13 in restaurant management. In 1979 he became a volunteer firefighter, and in 1984 he was hired as a full-time firefighter engineer and EMT with the Lincolnton Fire Department. He retired from full-time fire service in 2012 after approximately 28 years. After retirement, he continued serving as a volunteer and part-time firefighter at several Lincoln County fire stations and served as a Level 3 Fire Safety Educator.\n\nJenkins served as President of the Lincoln County Firefighters' Burned Children's Fund.\n\n## Family\nJenkins is unmarried and has no children.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Jenkins emphasizing personnel, growth issues in return to county school board \u2013 Lake Norman Publications](https://www.lakenormanpublications.com/articles/jenkins-emphasizing-personnel-growth-issues-in-return-to-county-school-board/)\n- [2] [Tony Jenkins \u2013 Lincoln Ballot](https://lincolnballot.com/tony-jenkins/)\n","firstname":"Tony","lastname":"Jenkins","middlename":"Albert","suffix":null,"token":"9a7284b1b7b7d50c"},"token":"7lhuStblWnox8Yjq"}],"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":"Lincoln County Board Of Education At-Large"}