{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Pam Pitman","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"According to the North Carolina voter file, Pamela Sue Pitman is a registered voter in Mitchell County, North Carolina, registered since 1986 (40 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Pamela Sue Pitman'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 [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 Pamela Sue Pitman 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":"Pamela","lastname":"Pitman","middlename":"Sue","suffix":null,"token":"59b84e302d503e2a"},"token":"bsgnf-Cq7XFqqedt"},{"candidatename":"Alan English","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nAlan Dewayne English is a candidate for the Mitchell County Board of Education in North Carolina [1]. He has sought election to this office, with records indicating his candidacy in the 2022 cycle [1]. As of May 2026, he is listed as a candidate for the upcoming 2026 election for the same position [1]. Specific details regarding his party affiliation, district boundaries, or recent campaign developments for the 2026 race are not provided in the available source material.\n\n## Career\n\nAlan English is a farmer and small business owner [1]. He operates his own agricultural enterprise in Mitchell County, North Carolina [1]. Specific details regarding other professional licenses or military service are not provided in the available source material.\n\n## Office history\n\nAlan English ran for election to the Mitchell County Board of Education in North Carolina in 2022 [1]. The provided source identifies him as a candidate for this specific race but does not contain information regarding whether he was elected or defeated, nor does it list any prior elected or appointed offices held by English [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Alan English (Mitchell County Board of Education, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Alan_English_(Mitchell_County_Board_of_Education,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2022))","firstname":"Alan","lastname":"English","middlename":"Dewayne","suffix":null,"token":"b7e2af858f0c907c"},"token":"hAV4riJ-XorP1YlD"},{"candidatename":"Brandon Pitman","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Brandon Keith Pitman is the current County Extension Director for Agriculture in Mitchell County, North Carolina, and is a Republican candidate for the Mitchell County Board of Education in the 2026 general election. The Board of Education is responsible for setting policy, approving curricula, overseeing the county\u2019s school budget, and hiring the superintendent, duties that require familiarity with local educational needs and community resources.\n\nPitman\u2019s professional background is rooted in agricultural outreach. As the Mitchell County Extension Director, he leads the local office of the N.C. Cooperative Extension, a partnership between North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, and state and federal agencies that delivers research\u2011based education to residents. In this role he coordinates programs that support farmers, provides disaster assistance information, and promotes sustainable agricultural practices across the county[9].\n\nIn addition to his extension work, Pitman has previously sought elected office. He ran as a nonpartisan candidate for an at\u2011large seat on the Mitchell County Board of Education in the November 8, 2022 general election, appearing on the ballot alongside other local candidates[1]. Although he did not complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey, the 2022 campaign demonstrates his ongoing interest in serving the county\u2019s educational system.\n\nPitman\u2019s recent public activities highlight his focus on agricultural resilience. In a 2025 episode of the \u201cWe Are Mitchell\u201d podcast, he explained the North Carolina General Assembly\u2019s $300\u202fmillion disaster\u2011crop\u2011loss program, guiding local producers on how to apply for aid and outlining Cooperative Extension\u2019s role in recovery efforts after severe weather events such as Hurricane Helene[12]. This outreach underscores his experience in navigating state resources and communicating complex information to rural constituents.\n\nWhile specific details of Pitman\u2019s formal education are not provided in the available sources, his leadership position within the Cooperative Extension suggests a background in agricultural science or a related field. His combined experience in agricultural extension and prior candidacy for the school board positions him as a candidate familiar with both the economic and educational challenges facing Mitchell County residents.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Brandon Pitman (Mitchell County Board of Education, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Brandon_Pitman_(Mitchell_County_Board_of_Education,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2022))\n- [9] [Brandon Pitman - County Extension Director, Agriculture](https://mitchell.ces.ncsu.edu/profile/brandon-pitman/)\n- [12] [Agriculture Disaster Crop Loss Program - Brandon Pitman | We Are Mitchell](https://wearemitchell.podbean.com/e/agriculture-disaster-crop-loss-program-brandon-pitman/)","firstname":"Brandon","lastname":"Pitman","middlename":"Keith","suffix":null,"token":"1a186fc312a72958"},"token":"xeTAQoLL23-RmO32"}],"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":"Mitchell County Board Of Education"}