{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Carol Golightly","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"According to the North Carolina voter file, Carol Emily Golightly is a registered voter in Yancey County, North Carolina, registered since 2019 (7 years), with party affiliation listed as Democratic [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Carol Emily Golightly's year of birth as 1986; 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 2020, 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 Carol Emily Golightly 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":"Carol","lastname":"Golightly","middlename":"Emily","suffix":null,"token":"2a9ae1bc2ac1f756"},"token":"bCAVr3gpy6eDE970"},{"candidatename":"Sandi Norton","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"**Sandra Glenn Norton placed third among five Republican candidates in the March 3, 2026 primary for the Yancey County Board of Commissioners, receiving 576 votes, and will appear on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot [1].**\n\nAccording to the North Carolina voter file, Sandra Glenn Norton is a registered voter in Yancey County, North Carolina, registered since 1992 (34 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [2].\n\nThe voter file shows Sandra Glenn Norton's year of birth as 1965; NC publishes only the year of birth in its bulk voter export, so day and month are not part of the public record [2].\n\nThe voter history file shows 9 elections voted in since 2016, most recently the 2026-03-03 primary election [3].\n\nThis summary draws only from the public North Carolina voter registration and history records and the state's certified primary results. No additional published biographical information was located. Voters with personal knowledge of Sandra Glenn Norton can reach ballotproject.org with corrections or additions.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [North Carolina State Board of Elections \u2014 2026 primary certified precinct results, Yancey County](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2026_03_03/results_precinct_sort/YANCEY_PRECINCT_SORT.txt) \u2014 Yancey County Board of Commissioners (REP)\n\n[2] [North Carolina State Board of Elections \u2014 Voter Search](https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/)\n\n[3] North Carolina State Board of Elections voter history file (`ncvhis_Statewide`), published at [dl.ncsbe.gov](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/)","firstname":"Sandra","lastname":"Norton","middlename":"Glenn","suffix":null,"token":"af352bb5a330c19e"},"token":"FrPIOz_58McPmEgo"},{"candidatename":"David Grindstaff","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"**Harold David Grindstaff Jr. placed first among five Republican candidates in the March 3, 2026 primary for the Yancey County Board of Commissioners, receiving 627 votes, and will appear on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot [1].**\n\nAccording to the North Carolina voter file, Harold David Grindstaff JR is a registered voter in Yancey County, North Carolina, registered since 1995 (31 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [2].\n\nThe voter file shows Harold David Grindstaff JR's year of birth as 1969; NC publishes only the year of birth in its bulk voter export, so day and month are not part of the public record [2].\n\nThe voter history file shows 13 elections voted in since 2016, most recently the 2026-03-03 primary election [3].\n\nThis summary draws only from the public North Carolina voter registration and history records and the state's certified primary results. No additional published biographical information was located. Voters with personal knowledge of Harold David Grindstaff JR can reach ballotproject.org with corrections or additions.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [North Carolina State Board of Elections \u2014 2026 primary certified precinct results, Yancey County](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2026_03_03/results_precinct_sort/YANCEY_PRECINCT_SORT.txt) \u2014 Yancey County Board of Commissioners (REP)\n\n[2] [North Carolina State Board of Elections \u2014 Voter Search](https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/)\n\n[3] North Carolina State Board of Elections voter history file (`ncvhis_Statewide`), published at [dl.ncsbe.gov](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/)","firstname":"Harold","lastname":"Grindstaff","middlename":"David","suffix":"JR","token":"c80f5b92a1e86ada"},"token":"7s5avTC64X8s3mwd"},{"candidatename":"Stacey McEntyre Greene","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"**Stacey Mcentyre Greene placed second among five Republican candidates in the March 3, 2026 primary for the Yancey County Board of Commissioners, receiving 595 votes, and will appear on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot [1].**\n\nAccording to the North Carolina voter file, Stacey Mcentyre Greene is a registered voter in Yancey County, North Carolina, registered since 1992 (34 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [2].\n\nThe voter file shows Stacey Mcentyre Greene's year of birth as 1974; NC publishes only the year of birth in its bulk voter export, so day and month are not part of the public record [2].\n\nThe voter history file shows 11 elections voted in since 2016, most recently the 2026-03-03 primary election [3].\n\nThis summary draws only from the public North Carolina voter registration and history records and the state's certified primary results. No additional published biographical information was located. Voters with personal knowledge of Stacey Mcentyre Greene can reach ballotproject.org with corrections or additions.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [North Carolina State Board of Elections \u2014 2026 primary certified precinct results, Yancey County](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2026_03_03/results_precinct_sort/YANCEY_PRECINCT_SORT.txt) \u2014 Yancey County Board of Commissioners (REP)\n\n[2] [North Carolina State Board of Elections \u2014 Voter Search](https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/)\n\n[3] North Carolina State Board of Elections voter history file (`ncvhis_Statewide`), published at [dl.ncsbe.gov](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/)","firstname":"Stacey","lastname":"Greene","middlename":"Mcentyre","suffix":null,"token":"bde5106b4e666e2f"},"token":"gzp2qnbLvWsLomhI"},{"candidatename":"Amber Westall Briggs","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nAmber Leigh Briggs, director of the Avery-Mitchell-Yancey Regional Library System [2], is a Democratic candidate for the Yancey County Board of Commissioners in the November 3, 2026 general election, according to North Carolina State Board of Elections candidate filing records, where she is listed by her full name, Amber Westall Briggs [3].\n\n## Background and education\nBriggs grew up in the South Toe River Valley in Yancey County and graduated from Mountain Heritage High School. She completed biology coursework at North Carolina State University, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Literature from Western Carolina University, and holds a Master of Library Science from Appalachian State University. She is a certified North Carolina public librarian [2].\n\n## Career\nBriggs began her library career as a volunteer with the Yancey County Friends of the Library in 2007 [2]. She joined the Yancey County Public Library staff in 2011 as an assistant librarian, later becoming Assistant Regional Director [1][2]. She was unanimously selected by the AMY Regional Board to become system director in 2015 [1][2]. Under her leadership the AMY system secured more than $500,000 in grants for digital-inclusion initiatives, including $225,000 from the High Country Council of Governments and $270,000 from the Dogwood Health Trust [2]. She received the North Carolina Library Director of the Year Award for 2024 from the Public Library Directors Association [2].\n\nBriggs serves on the boards of High Country Workforce Development, Mountain Community Health Partnership, and the State Library LSTA Grant Committee. She co-chairs the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival board and its Program Committee [2].\n\n## Family\nBriggs, the daughter of Forrest and Sabra Westall, grew up in the South Toe River Valley. She and her husband, Shane, have three children [2].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Briggs Chosen to Lead Avery-Mitchell-Yancey Regional Library System \u2013 Avery Journal](https://www.averyjournal.com/news/briggs-chosen-to-lead-avery-mitchell-yancey-regional-library-system/article_8f9b80a8-15c8-11e5-a2c3-67b2b46f7493.html)\n- [2] [AMY Regional Director Briggs Named NC's PLDA Library Director of the Year \u2013 Avery Journal](https://www.averyjournal.com/news/amy-regional-director-briggs-named-nc-s-plda-library-director-of-the-year/article_f260ee82-e771-11ef-b14f-1746a13f6151.html)\n- [3] NC State Board of Elections, 2026 Candidate Filing, Yancey County Board of Commissioners (`Candidate_Listing_2026.csv`) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-19","firstname":"Amber","lastname":"Briggs","middlename":"Leigh","suffix":null,"token":"a1f48e2d27adba0f"},"token":"9q7sNOYJVMG0ubwa"},{"candidatename":"Landon Beaver","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Landon Scott Beaver is running as the Democratic candidate for the Yancey County Board of Commissioners in the 2026 election.  He is also the current Chair of the Yancey County Democratic Party, a role in which he works to foster community engagement and provide resources on local issues [12].\n\nThe Yancey County Board of Commissioners serves as the governing body for the county, making policy decisions that affect public services and budgeting.  For example, the commissioners voted in June 2024 to withdraw Yancey County from the AMY Regional Library System, a decision that sparked public controversy and increased local tax costs [11].\n\nBeaver\u2019s public record shows a focus on protecting library access and First Amendment rights.  In response to the 2024 withdrawal, he launched a GoFundMe campaign titled \u201cHelp Save Our Library\u2014Targeted After Helene,\u201d which raised awareness about the loss of regional library services and the replacement of experienced staff with less qualified personnel [11].  The campaign narrative details his efforts to hire legal counsel, consider a First Amendment lawsuit, and organize nonprofit entities aimed at defending public library services across multiple counties [11].\n\nAs Democratic Party Chair, Beaver emphasizes transparency, respect, and collaborative problem\u2011solving, urging residents of all backgrounds to participate in local governance and to voice their concerns on issues such as library funding, LGBTQ+ content policies, and disaster response resources [12].  His leadership on the party platform aligns with his advocacy on the library issue, indicating a broader commitment to maintaining community resources and civic participation.\n\nPublicly available sources do not provide details about Beaver\u2019s formal education or prior professional employment beyond his political and activist roles.  Nonetheless, his recent activities demonstrate experience in community organizing, legal strategy development, and party leadership\u2014qualifications he highlights as relevant to the responsibilities of a county commissioner.\n\n## Sources\n- [11] [Fundraiser by Landon Beaver : Help Save Our Library\u2014Targeted After Surviving Helene](https://www.gofundme.com/f/Save-yancey-library)\n- [12] [Leadership \u2014 Yancey County Democrats](https://www.yanceydemocrats.org/leadership)","firstname":"Landon","lastname":"Beaver","middlename":"Scott","suffix":null,"token":"7fda3755a0fa7fd0"},"token":"Jhhh6Aob7kfbKWAp"}],"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":3,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Yancey County Board Of Commissioners"}