{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nBarbara Roseboro Featherson is the incumbent Democratic commissioner for District 1 on the Columbus County Board of Commissioners, representing Fair Bluff, Boardman, Evergreen, Chadbourn and western Whiteville. She is running for re-election in the November 3, 2026 general election.\n\n## Background and education\n\nFeatherson grew up in a large Black farming family on her mother's 16-acre property in the Mt. Olive community of Columbus County; her family was among the largest Black farm owners in the county, growing wheat, corn and other crops [1]. She graduated from West Columbus High School, then earned a general business certificate from Southeastern Business College in Durham [1].\n\n## Career\n\nAfter returning to Columbus County and passing a civil service exam, Featherson worked as a federal employee in addition to her family's farming work [1].\n\n## Office history\n\nFeatherson was first elected to the District 1 seat, defeating then-incumbent Jerome McMillian by 46 votes in the May 2022 Democratic primary, then winning 82% of the vote in the November 8, 2022 general election against a Republican write-in candidate \u2014 becoming the first Black woman to serve on the Columbus County Board of Commissioners [1].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\n\nFeatherson has said she decided to run for the seat after McMillian, who is also Black, supported then-Sheriff Jody Greene's request for riot gear in June 2020; the board voted 5-2 to deny the request. She told the Border Belt Independent she was \u201cdisappointed in him for voting yes.\u201d McMillian later switched his party registration to Republican and became a chief deputy at the Columbus County Sheriff's Office [1].\n\n## Sources\n\n[1] [In a rural NC county rife with turmoil, voters elect first Black woman to county board](https://borderbelt.org/first-black-woman-elected-to-columbus-county-commissioners-board/) \u2014 Border Belt Independent, published 2022-12-13, accessed 2026-07-19","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_01","county":"columbus","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Columbus County Board Of Commissioners District 01"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Barbara","fullname":"Barbara Roseboro Featherson","lastname":"Featherson","middlename":"Roseboro","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_01","contest_title":"Columbus County Board Of Commissioners District 01","county":"columbus","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"columbus","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"columbus","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission_district_01","contest_title":"Columbus County Board Of Commissioners District 01","county":"columbus","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"columbus","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"DEM","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Barbara Roseboro Featherson, the first Black woman on the Columbus County Board of Commissioners, seeks re\u2011election after a 2026 victory focused on unity and practical governance.","terms":[],"token":"158192c3e15e8393"}