{"biography":"Dylan James Castle is the Republican candidate for one of the two seats on the Macon County Board of Commissioners representing District\u202f2 in the 2026 general election. The Board of Commissioners is the governing body for Macon County, North Carolina; each commissioner represents a geographic district and the two candidates receiving the most votes in the November general election win the seats\u202f[12]. The election is scheduled for November\u202f3,\u202f2026\u202f[6].\n\nMacon County is a rural county of about 37,000 residents with a median household income of $45,703 and a high school graduation rate of 89\u202f%\u202f[1]. District\u202f2 includes the town of Franklin and surrounding areas. The current commissioners, Gary Sheilds and Danny Antoine, are not seeking reelection, opening both seats to new candidates\u202f[12].\n\nIn the March\u202f2026 Republican primary, Castle emerged from a five\u2011candidate field, securing 25.75\u202f% of the vote, second only to Kellie Burns who earned 30.79\u202f%\u202f[12]. The other primary contenders were former Franklin Town Council Member David Culpepper (18.81\u202f%), Macon County Sheriff\u2019s Captain Nick Lofthouse (18.30\u202f%), and Danny Reitmeier (6.35\u202f%). By finishing in the top two, Castle advanced to the November general election, where he will face Democratic opponents Terry Bell and Janet Jacobs Greene for the two available seats\u202f[12].\n\nCastle\u2019s public record prior to the 2026 race is not detailed in the available sources, and no specific professional or educational background has been published. His campaign activity, as reflected in the primary results, demonstrates a base of support within the Republican electorate of District\u202f2. The general election will determine whether he joins the Macon County Board of Commissioners to help set policy, approve the county budget, and oversee local services for residents of his district.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Macon County, North Carolina, elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Macon_County,_North_Carolina,_elections,_2026)\n- [2] [North Carolina elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_elections,_2026)\n- [3] [United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_North_Carolina,_2026)\n- [5] [Candidate Lists | NCSBE](https://www.ncsbe.gov/results-data/candidate-lists)\n- [6] [Upcoming Election | NCSBE](https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/upcoming-election)\n- [8] [2026 Election United States House - North Carolina - District 05 - FEC.gov](https://www.fec.gov/data/elections/house/NC/05/2026/)\n- [10] [2026 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_North_Carolina)\n- [11] [Candidate Profiles \u2013 NC Voter Guide](https://ncvoterguide.org/profiles/)\n- [12] [Burns, Castle advance to Macon Commission General Election](https://smokymountainnews.com/news/item/40974-burns-castle-advance-to-macon-commission-general-election)","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_02","county":"macon","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Macon County Board Of Commissioners District 02"},{"contest":"county_commission_district_02","county":"macon","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Macon County Board Of Commissioners District 02"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Dylan","fullname":"Dylan James Castle","lastname":"Castle","middlename":"James","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_02","contest_title":"Macon County Board Of Commissioners District 02","county":"macon","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"macon","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},{"contest":"county_commission_district_02","contest_title":"Macon County Board Of Commissioners District 02","county":"macon","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"macon","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"macon","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission_district_02","contest_title":"Macon County Board Of Commissioners District 02","county":"macon","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"macon","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"REP","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Dylan James Castle is the Republican candidate for Macon County Commissioner District\u202f2, advancing from the March\u202f2026 primary to the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election.","terms":[],"token":"184a9ef4360f91ac"}