{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Jason Lambert","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Jason Daryl Lambert is the Republican candidate for one of the two seats on the Swain County Board of Education in North Carolina. He won the Republican primary on March 3, 2026, receiving 728 votes, and will face Democratic challengers Brandy Monteith and Dannie Shuler in the November general election for the seats currently held by incumbent Lisa Loftis and retiring Republican Robert Taylor [12][1].\n\nLambert emphasizes after\u2011school enrichment programs and increased funding for schools and teachers as his top priorities. He notes that his deep ties to the Qualla Boundary\u2014home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians\u2014position him to improve communication and coordination between Swain County and the Cherokee Central school districts [12].\n\nThe Swain County Board of Education is responsible for setting local education policy, approving budgets, and overseeing the administration of public schools within the county. As a board member, Lambert would participate in these decisions, bringing his focus on student enrichment and resource allocation to the table. His campaign aligns with the broader Republican platform in the county, which stresses parental rights and community\u2011based solutions for education [12].\n\nIf elected, Lambert will join fellow board member Lisa Loftis, who highlighted her experience with the Community Eligibility Provision child\u2011nutrition program, in guiding the county\u2019s schools through the upcoming academic year.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Swain County, North Carolina, elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Swain_County,_North_Carolina,_elections,_2026)\n- [2] [North Carolina elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_elections,_2026)\n- [3] [United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_North_Carolina,_2026)\n- [4] [United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_North_Carolina,_2026)\n- [5] [Upcoming Election | NCSBE](https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/upcoming-election)\n- [7] [Candidate Lists | NCSBE](https://www.ncsbe.gov/results-data/candidate-lists)\n- [9] [2026 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_North_Carolina)\n- [10] [Candidate Profiles \u2013 NC Voter Guide](https://ncvoterguide.org/profiles/)\n- [12] [Republicans Loftis, Lambert secure Primary for Swain Board of Education](https://smokymountainnews.com/news/item/40978-republicans-loftis-lambert-secure-primary-for-swain-board-of-education)","firstname":"Jason","lastname":"Lambert","middlename":"Daryl","suffix":null,"token":"248dd2551d23a416"},"token":"9JYIPoTHOcieCmch"},{"candidatename":"Lisa (Stoltzfus) Loftis","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Lisa Loftis is the incumbent Republican member of the Swain County Board of Education and is seeking re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election for one of the two at\u2011large seats on the board. The Swain County Board of Education is a partisan\u2011elected body that governs the county\u2019s public schools, with voters selecting the two candidates who receive the most votes to fill the seats\u30104\u3011.\n\nLoftis serves as the director of the State of Franklin, a private nonprofit health\u2011planning agency, and is a mother of five children who attend Swain County schools\u30107\u3011\u30109\u3011. She has said that her motivation for running is to be more involved in the education of her children and to improve communication between teachers and parents\u30107\u3011.\n\nBefore her current term, Loftis held a seat on the board and drew on that experience during her campaign. She highlighted her prior board service and her work with the Community Eligibility Provision child\u2011nutrition program as evidence of her qualifications\u30108\u3011. In the March\u202f3 Republican primary she received 983 votes, defeating challengers Jason Lambert and Josh Oliver and securing the party\u2019s nomination for the general election\u30108\u3011. In the subsequent general election, Loftis was one of two Republicans\u2014along with R.L. Taylor\u2014to win seats on the board, defeating Democratic opponents Jamie Fisher and incumbent Travis Hyatt\u30109\u3011.\n\nLoftis\u2019s platform emphasizes parental rights, bridging the gap between faculty and families, and supporting child\u2011nutrition initiatives. She has described herself as a \u201cmom\u201d who wants to advocate for Swain County children and let her faith guide her decision\u2011making on the board\u30108\u3011. Her campaign positions reflect a focus on community involvement and ensuring that the school system meets the needs of its families.\n\n## Sources\n- [4] [On March 3, incumbent Lisa Loftis and Republican challengers Jason Lambert and Josh Oliver will compete in the Republican primaries for the Swain County Board of Education. The candidates who receive the most votes will advance to the General Election](https://www.facebook.com/smnews/posts/on-march-3-incumbent-lisa-loftis-and-republican-challengers-jason-lambert-and-jo/1375907754547174/)\n- [7] [Four candidates left in race for Swain County School Board](https://smokymountainnews.com/archives/item/34427-four-candidates-left-in-race-for-swain-county-school-board)\n- [8] [Republicans Loftis, Lambert secure Primary for Swain Board of Education](https://smokymountainnews.com/news/item/40978-republicans-loftis-lambert-secure-primary-for-swain-board-of-education)\n- [9] [Republicans sweep Swain County School Board](https://smokymountainnews.com/news/item/34635-republicans-sweep-swain-county-school-board)","firstname":"Lisa","lastname":"Loftis","middlename":"Marie","suffix":null,"token":"8cd38a2764de95e5"},"token":"dHHv5MDqbdh-_dMG"},{"candidatename":"Josh Oliver","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJoshua Brandon Oliver ran as a Republican candidate for one of two Swain County Board of Education seats in the March 3, 2026 primary. He placed third among three Republican candidates with 655 votes, behind Lisa (Stoltzfus) Loftis (986) and Jason Lambert (730), who advanced to the November 3, 2026 general election. Oliver will not appear on the November ballot [1].\n\n## Background\nAccording to the North Carolina voter file, Joshua Brandon Oliver is a registered voter, registered since 1998 (28 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [2]. The voter file shows a year of birth of 1980; NC publishes only the year of birth in its bulk voter export, so day and month are not part of the public record [2]. The voter history file shows 7 elections voted in since 2016, most recently the 2026-03-03 primary election [3].\n\n## Sources\n[1] North Carolina State Board of Elections, certified March 3, 2026 primary results by precinct (`results_pct_20260303.txt`), published at [dl.ncsbe.gov](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2026_03_03/results_pct_20260303.zip) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-21\n[2] [North Carolina State Board of Elections \u2014 Voter Search](https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/)\n[3] North Carolina State Board of Elections voter history file (`ncvhis_Statewide`), published at [dl.ncsbe.gov](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/)\n","firstname":"Joshua","lastname":"Oliver","middlename":"Brandon","suffix":null,"token":"2a139529bc88ba4b"},"token":"XFRTcc0gST1FTN3s"}],"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":2,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Swain County Board Of Education"}