{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Kimberley Thompson-Hairston","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"According to the North Carolina voter file, Kimberley  Thompson-Hairston is a registered voter in Rockingham County, North Carolina, registered since 2008 (18 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Kimberley  Thompson-Hairston's year of birth as 1977; 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 11 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 Kimberley  Thompson-Hairston 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":"Kimberley","lastname":"Thompson-Hairston","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"dfb903e83ee448a8"},"token":"zhZzudqGfPuIavLH"},{"candidatename":"Philip Butler","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nPhilip Nolan Butler is a Republican candidate for one of three at-large seats on the Rockingham County Board of Education in the 2026 election. He appeared on the county's official Republican primary ballot (March 3, 2026) for the at-large seats alongside Kimberley Thompson-Hairston, Synthya Penaloza, and Kimberly McMichael [1].\n\n## Office history\nButler previously sought the same at-large seat in 2022. He was one of four Republican candidates in the May 17, 2022 primary, along with Jim Fink, Kimberly Walker McMichael, and Paula Harvell Rakestraw, and appeared on the November 8, 2022 general-election ballot as one of three Republican nominees for the three at-large positions, alongside McMichael and Rakestraw [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Sample Ballot \u2013 Republican Party Primary, Rockingham County, North Carolina, March 3, 2026](https://files.municipalone.com/rockinghamcounty-nc/SampleBallot-R-Stoneville1390100834123025AM.pdf)\n[2] [Philip Butler (Rockingham County Board of Education At-Large, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Philip_Butler_(Rockingham_County_Board_of_Education_At-Large,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2022))","firstname":"Philip","lastname":"Butler","middlename":"Nolan","suffix":null,"token":"52d0bfa106821c4c"},"token":"P6oRXU8WZy82ERHc"},{"candidatename":"Synthya Penaloza","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"**March 3, 2026 primary result: Penaloza lost the Republican primary for Rockingham County Board of Education At-Large, finishing fourth of four candidates with 3,716 votes. The top three \u2014 Kimberly McMichael, Philip Butler, and Kimberley Thompson-Hairston \u2014 advance to the November general election [3].**\n\nAccording to the North Carolina voter file, Synthya Anahi Penaloza is a registered voter in Rockingham County, North Carolina, registered since 2021 (5 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Synthya Anahi Penaloza's year of birth as 1989; 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 4 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 Synthya Anahi Penaloza 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/)\n\n[3] North Carolina State Board of Elections, official March 3, 2026 primary election results (`results_pct_20260303`), published at [dl.ncsbe.gov](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/index.html?prefix=ENRS/2026_03_03/)","firstname":"Synthya","lastname":"Penaloza","middlename":"Anahi","suffix":null,"token":"aef4a28b0247477e"},"token":"33ShoyyQopP7Cs2M"},{"candidatename":"Kimberly McMichael","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Kimberly Walker McMichael is a current member of the Rockingham County Board of Education, serving an at\u2011large seat, and is a Republican candidate for the same at\u2011large position in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election. The Rockingham County Board of Education is a seven\u2011member body that includes four district\u2011elected members and three at\u2011large members, each serving four\u2011year terms. The board\u2019s primary responsibilities are to set district policy, adopt the annual budget, and hire the superintendent, who then manages day\u2011to\u2011day operations of the school system\u202f[12].\n\nPublicly available biographical information does not detail McMichael\u2019s formal education or early career, but she is listed as a member of the North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA), an organization that provides advocacy, training, and legal resources to school board members across the state\u202f[11]. Her NCSBA profile underscores her involvement in board governance and policy discussions at the state level.\n\nMcMichael has been serving on the Rockingham County Board of Education for multiple terms, participating in board meetings, policy deliberations, and community outreach. The board\u2019s website lists her official contact information, including a district email address (kmcmichael@rock.k12.nc.us) and a direct phone line (336\u2011342\u20112291)\u202f[12]. As a board member, she contributes to decisions on curriculum standards, school safety, budget allocations, and superintendent oversight, aligning with the board\u2019s statutory duties to ensure quality public education for the county\u2019s students.\n\nThrough her NCSBA affiliation, McMichael engages with statewide legislative updates, advocacy tools, and professional development programs designed to strengthen school board leadership\u202f[11]. While specific legislative votes or initiatives she has championed are not detailed in the available sources, her continued presence on the board and involvement with NCSBA indicate an active role in shaping educational policy at both the local and state levels.\n\nIn the upcoming 2026 election, McMichael is seeking to retain her at\u2011large seat, offering voters the opportunity to continue her work on the board. The at\u2011large seats are elected by voters county\u2011wide, and candidates must meet the statutory qualifications for board service, including residency in Rockingham County, being a registered voter, and not holding a conflicting public office\u202f[12].\n\n## Sources\n- [9] [Primary-Rockingham County School Board: Kimberly McMichael (R)](https://greensboro.com/article_38a2e672-427c-11e8-9765-efe5710a26f8.html)\n- [11] [Kimberly McMichael - North Carolina School Boards Association](https://www.ncsba.org/team/kimberly-mcmichael/)\n- [12] [Board of Education | Rockingham County Schools](https://www.rock.k12.nc.us/page/board-of-education)","firstname":"Kimberly","lastname":"Mcmichael","middlename":"Walker","suffix":null,"token":"909a5570e74f251f"},"token":"XAkgjmKaq_4ApeSE"}],"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":"Rockingham County Board Of Education At-Large"}