{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Ben Cooke","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nBenjamin \"Ben\" Cooke is the Republican incumbent on the Mount Airy City Schools Board of Education, District B, seeking re-election in the November 3, 2026 general election [1][2]. He has served on the board since 2010 and ran unopposed for re-election in 2022, receiving 3,008 votes to 14 write-ins [3].\n\n## Background and education\nCooke was born and raised in Mount Airy and graduated from Mount Airy City Schools in 1989 [1].\n\n## Career\nCooke and his wife, Lone, own and operate Cooke Rentals, Inc. [1]. He has assisted with the Mount Airy High School football program since 1998, and was part of a board group that represented Mount Airy City Schools on the district's first educational trip to China [1].\n\n## Family\nCooke and his wife have three children \u2014 Hanne, Martin, and Peter \u2014 who all graduated from Mount Airy High School [1].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Meet the Board \u2013 Board of Education \u2013 Mount Airy City Schools](https://www.mtairy.k12.nc.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=334417&type=d&pREC_ID=762213)\n- [2] [School board candidates emerge \u2013 Mt. Airy News](https://www.mtairynews.com/news/school-board-candidates-emerge/article_8ec7e6e2-4f8a-4446-b9f4-5d7db23b333f.html)\n- [3] [Mount Airy City Schools, North Carolina, elections - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Mount_Airy_City_Schools,_North_Carolina,_elections)","firstname":"Benjamin","lastname":"Cooke","middlename":"Mcrae","suffix":null,"token":"456ea2d637ce2e53"},"token":"iWebVuIAO2tHm5CW"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"school_board","o.office":"school_board","office":"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":"School Board Member","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Mount Airy City Schools Board Of Education District B"}