{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Chad Cole","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"","person":{"biography":"Chad Cole is a candidate for the Watauga County Board of Education, District\u202f04, in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election. The Board of Education is a nonpartisan three\u2011seat body that oversees the public schools of Watauga County, setting policy, approving budgets, and hiring senior administrators\u202f[1][4].\n\nCole resides at 128\u202fJacks\u202fRoad in Vilas, North\u202fCarolina\u202f[9]. No educational or professional background is provided in the publicly available sources.\n\nCole first appeared on the ballot in the 2022 election cycle. He filed for the nonpartisan primary held on May\u202f17,\u202f2022 and advanced to the general election on November\u202f8,\u202f2022, where he was listed among six candidates for the three available seats\u202f[1]. He ran again in the 2024 cycle, filing for the March\u202f5,\u202f2024 primary and appearing on the November\u202f5,\u202f2024 general ballot\u202f[4]. In both cycles Ballotpedia notes that he did not complete the Candidate Connection survey and that no endorsements were recorded for him\u202f[1][4].\n\nContact information for the campaign is limited to an email address provided on the Ballotpedia pages: ckcboe@gmail.com\u202f[1][4]. No campaign website, phone number, or social\u2011media profiles are identified in the sources. The Vote\u2011USA profile also lists the same residential address but offers no additional biographical details or issue positions\u202f[9].\n\nAs a repeat candidate, Cole is seeking another term on the Board of Education in 2026. Voters can reach him via the listed email address for questions about his priorities, though specific platform statements have not been published in the sources reviewed.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Chad Cole (Watauga County Board of Education, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Chad_Cole_(Watauga_County_Board_of_Education,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2022))\n- [4] [Chad Cole (Watauga County Board of Education, North Carolina, candidate 2024) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Chad_Cole_(Watauga_County_Board_of_Education,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2024))\n- [9] [Vote-USA | Chad Cole | Previous Candidate for Watauga County Board of Education at-Large, Watauga County, North Carolina](https://vote-usa.org/Intro.aspx?State=NC&Id=NCColeChad)","firstname":"Chad","lastname":"Cole","middlename":"Kenneth","suffix":null,"token":"1e55797b74ae0115"},"token":"bt7vMJX8BIl20mMb"},{"candidatename":"Megan (Chayyim) Kornhauser","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"","person":{"biography":"Megan (Chayyim) Kornhauser is a candidate for the Watauga County Board of Education, District\u202f4, on the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 ballot. The board\u2019s duties include stewardship of public funds, support of teachers and staff, curriculum oversight, and long\u2011term planning for the county\u2019s schools, as described by fellow candidate Chad Cole in the same voter guide\u202f[8].\n\nKornhauser\u2019s public statements identify her as an \u201cearly historian\u201d who is motivated to protect a high\u2011quality, inclusive curriculum. She opposes recent North Carolina legislative efforts to revise history and other academic subjects in ways she says would limit critical thinking\u202f[8]. She also advocates for representation of LGBTQ+, Jewish, Muslim, people of color, and disabled characters in school materials, arguing that students should see themselves reflected in the curriculum and feel safe to be authentic\u202f[8].\n\nWhile the source does not detail her professional background or prior public service, her platform emphasizes defending curriculum from politically driven revisions and ensuring that all students\u2014regardless of identity\u2014receive an education that encourages analytical skills and personal authenticity\u202f[8].\n\nIf elected, Kornhauser says she will work to maintain the high\u2011quality education Watauga County students receive, uphold inclusive teaching materials, and resist state\u2011level attempts to alter historical content\u202f[8]. Her candidacy reflects a focus on academic integrity and student representation within the board\u2019s broader responsibilities of fiscal oversight and policy setting.\n\n## Sources\n- [8] [2026 Primary Voter Guide: Watauga County Board of Education District 4 | Local News | wataugademocrat.com](https://www.wataugademocrat.com/news/local/2026-primary-voter-guide-watauga-county-board-of-education-district-4/article_2c9637d0-550e-4c03-96ff-981f0d5bf3f9.html)","firstname":"Megan","lastname":"Kornhauser","middlename":"Rose","suffix":null,"token":"70a4e9a8a0da6a74"},"token":"-7UtxhB08MJlzrWy"}],"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":0,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Watauga County Board Of Education District 04"}