{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Kevin Johnson","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Kevin Eugene Johnson is a Republican candidate for the unexpired at\u2011large seat on the Wayne County Board of Commissioners in the 2026 election.  He currently serves as the Program Manager for the North Carolina Foundation of Soil and Water Conservation, a nonprofit that works to protect family farms and preserve agricultural land in eastern North Carolina [9][11].\n\nJohnson spent more than a decade leading the county\u2019s agricultural outreach as the Wayne County Cooperative Extension director from 2011 until 2024, overseeing programs that assist local farmers and promote sustainable practices [11].  He also chaired the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors through 2023, where he helped shape small\u2011business development initiatives for the region [11].\n\nIn addition to his professional roles, Johnson has been an active community volunteer, youth soccer coach, and deacon at his church, and his family includes a son serving in the United States Navy [9].  These experiences form the basis of his stated commitment to \u201csteady, dependable, common\u2011sense leadership\u201d for Wayne County residents [9][11].\n\nJohnson\u2019s campaign platform emphasizes three core priorities.  First, he seeks to protect the county\u2019s farmland and support the \u201cagricultural backbone\u201d by advancing policies that preserve open space and assist farmers [11].  Second, he proposes strategic investments in water and sewer infrastructure, roads, and broadband\u2014especially in rural areas\u2014to strengthen small\u2011business growth, attract new employers, and bolster connections with Wayne Community College and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base [11].  Third, he pledges to safeguard taxpayers\u2019 dollars, increase transparency in board spending, and ensure public\u2011safety departments have adequate staffing and resources [11][9].\n\nIf elected, Johnson says he will remain accessible and visible across the county, listening to residents and guiding decisions that benefit both rural and urban communities while honoring the legacy of the late Commissioner Wayne Aycock [9][11].\n\n## Sources\n- [9] [Kevin Johnson Announces Candidacy for Wayne County Commissioner | Goldsboro Daily News](https://www.goldsborodailynews.com/2025/11/25/kevin-johnson-announces-candidacy-for-wayne-county-commissioner/)\n- [10] [Kevin Johnson - County Extension Director and Extension Agent, Agriculture](https://wayne.ces.ncsu.edu/profile/kevin-johnson/)\n- [11] [Johnson vies for county commissioner at-large seat | Local News | newsargus.com](https://www.newsargus.com/news/local/johnson-vies-for-county-commissioner-at-large-seat/article_eb9ebcc8-cc0e-5772-b133-e4bbd72beaff.html)","firstname":"Kevin","lastname":"Johnson","middlename":"Eugene","suffix":null,"token":"55d7a08b128a4345"},"token":"u7tIT4OLX_bWMEJ2"},{"candidatename":"Jennifer Smith Strickland","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\n**Jennifer Smith Strickland lost the March 3, 2026 Republican primary for the unexpired term on the Wayne County Board of Commissioners at-large, placing second of two candidates with 4,186 votes to Kevin Johnson's 5,139.** [3]\n\nAccording to the North Carolina voter file, Jennifer Smith Strickland is a registered voter in Wayne County, North Carolina, registered since 1994 (32 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Jennifer Smith Strickland's year of birth as 1975; 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 14 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 Jennifer Smith Strickland 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, 2026 primary precinct-level election results (`results_pct_20260303.txt`, from [https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2026_03_03/results_pct_20260303.zip](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2026_03_03/results_pct_20260303.zip)) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-24","firstname":"Jennifer","lastname":"Strickland","middlename":"Smith","suffix":null,"token":"c5081a7d2679d4f2"},"token":"79XWPVsJe8V7TDgK"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"county_commissioner","o.office":"county_commission","office":"county_commission","officedescription":"A county commissioner is a member of the county's legislative body. The commission approves the county budget, sets the property-tax rate, authorizes borrowing, and passes county resolutions and ordinances. Commissioners are elected from districts (or at-large seats) to represent constituents on countywide policy.","officequalities":"- Policy judgment on countywide matters \u2014 budget, taxes, land use, services, and intergovernmental issues \u2014 within Tennessee county-government law.\n- Budget literacy: the commission approves the county budget, sets the property-tax rate, and authorizes multi-year bond issues.\n- Legislative process: drafting, amending, and voting on resolutions and ordinances; committee work that pre-screens items.\n- Constituent relations in the district \u2014 case-work and community issues flow through the commissioner's office.\n- Willingness to complete the state-required annual continuing education through UT CTAS.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"County Commissioner","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Wayne County Board Of Commissioners At-Large (Unexpired)"}