{"biography":"Chad Leon Hutchens is the incumbent North Ward commissioner on the Mount Airy City Council and is seeking re\u2011election for a second four\u2011year term in the November 2026 municipal election. The North Ward seat is a nonpartisan position on the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners that carries a four\u2011year term and requires the officeholder to reside in the ward and to be a qualified voter in Surry County[8].\n\nHutchens earned an associate\u2019s degree in criminal justice from Surry Community College, a bachelor\u2019s degree in criminal justice administration from Columbia Southern University, and a master\u2019s degree in public administration from Liberty University[11]. He has spent his career in law\u2011enforcement and public safety, currently serving as a lieutenant who leads the School Resource Officer Division of the Surry County Sheriff\u2019s Office. Prior to this role he worked for the Mount Airy Police Department, the Surry County Sheriff\u2019s Office, the Mount Airy Rescue Squad, and Surry County Emergency Services[11][8]. Public\u2011salary records show he has been employed as a deputy sheriff for Surry County since 2015, earning $70,945 in 2023, a figure well above the county average for the position[9].\n\nHutchens first entered elected office in 2022, when he ran for the North Ward seat on the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners and was elected in the November general election[1][8]. He described his first term as a learning experience and highlighted the progress the city has made on projects such as the Granstone conference center and the renovated library, saying, \u201cthe biggest thing that motivates me is the progress that we\u2019ve seen\u201d[8].\n\nIn his 2026 campaign, Hutchens emphasizes continued investment in essential workers, proposing salary raises and retention incentives for firefighters and other public\u2011safety staff. He supports economic\u2011development incentives tied to job creation, expansion of industrial parks, and zoning reforms to foster small\u2011business growth. Hutchens also advocates using existing capital\u2011investment funds for infrastructure and safety projects rather than incurring new debt[11].\n\nThe filing period for the 2026 municipal race opened on a Monday at noon at the Surry County Board of Elections headquarters in Dobson and will close on December 19, with a filing fee of $121.17 for commissioner seats[8]. Hutchens can be contacted by email at hutchens336@gmail.com, as listed on his Ballotpedia profile[1].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Chad Hutchens (Mount Airy Board of Commissioners North Ward, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Chad_Hutchens_(Mount_Airy_Board_of_Commissioners_North_Ward,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2022))\n- [8] [City councilmen to seek new terms | News | mtairynews.com](https://www.mtairynews.com/news/city-councilmen-to-seek-new-terms/article_815056b4-8d50-49da-ac0c-b96a4d85677e.html)\n- [9] [Chad Hutchens L | GovSalaries](https://govsalaries.com/hutchens-chad-l-185202712)\n- [11] [Chad Hutchens platform & website | Mount Airy City Council Member](https://www.branch.vote/races/2026-north-carolina-primary-election-nc-state-city-council-member-nc-mount-airy-city-council-north-n/candidates/chad-hutchens)","campaigns":[{"contest":"mount_airy_city_council_north_ward","county":"surry","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"City Of Mount Airy Commissioner North Ward"},{"contest":"mount_airy_city_council_north_ward","county":"surry","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"City Of Mount Airy Commissioner North Ward"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Chad","fullname":"Chad Leon Hutchens","lastname":"Hutchens","middlename":"Leon","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"mount_airy_city_council_north_ward","contest_title":"City Of Mount Airy Commissioner North Ward","county":"surry","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"surry","office_key":"city_council","office_title":"City Council Member","party":"","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},{"contest":"mount_airy_city_council_north_ward","contest_title":"City Of Mount Airy Commissioner North Ward","county":"surry","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"surry","office_key":"city_council","office_title":"City Council Member","party":"","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"surry","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"mount_airy_city_council_north_ward","contest_title":"City Of Mount Airy Commissioner North Ward","county":"surry","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"surry","office_key":"city_council","office_title":"City Council Member","party":"","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"city_council","office_title":"City Council Member","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Chad Hutchens is the incumbent North Ward commissioner of Mount Airy, NC, seeking re\u2011election in 2026, with a background in law enforcement and public\u2011administration education.","terms":[],"token":"06cb5345bacaf59f"}