{"biography":"Gary Hartong is the Republican candidate for an at\u2011large seat on the Wake County Board of Commissioners in the 2026 general election. The Republican primary was canceled, so Hartong advanced to the November 3, 2026 ballot alongside fellow Republican Kyle Stogoski and Democrats Christine Kushner and Mona Singh [1].\n\nHartong grew up in North Carolina, earning his high\u2011school diploma from Hoover High School before attending North Carolina State University, where he received a bachelor\u2019s degree in engineering in 1998 and a master\u2019s degree in 2009 [1]. He is a licensed professional engineer (PE) and has spent more than 25 years in civil and environmental engineering, rising from an intern to become President of The Wooten Company, a leading North Carolina engineering firm that delivers water, sewer, and community\u2011infrastructure projects [10].\n\nBeyond his private\u2011sector work, Hartong has held leadership roles in the engineering profession. He has served on the Board of Directors for the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) nationally and for ACEC North Carolina, where he participated in legislative advocacy for long\u2011term infrastructure investment [1]. Locally, he chaired and vice\u2011chaired the Town of Wake\u202fForest Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Advisory Board, contributing to community planning and greenway projects such as the 2022 Wake Forest bond referendum for trail improvements [1][12].\n\nHartong\u2019s campaign platform emphasizes four pillars: innovative infrastructure, fiscal conservancy, modern safe schools, and a strong business climate. He argues that Wake County\u2019s 12 municipalities, state agencies, and developers must coordinate strategic, data\u2011driven capital planning to keep roads, water, sewer, parks, buildings, and broadband services reliable and future\u2011ready [10]. He also calls for proactive investment to address a $200\u202fmillion deferred HVAC maintenance backlog and recent school closures, aiming to modernize facilities while controlling long\u2011term operating costs [10]. Finally, he promotes policies that support small\u2011business growth and protect taxpayers\u2019 dollars, positioning the county for sustained economic vitality [10].\n\nHartong is married with four daughters\u2014three graduates of Wake County Public Schools and one current student\u2014and two dogs. He has lived in Wake County for 23 years, witnessing its rapid growth and the accompanying challenges, which he says motivate his focus on infrastructure, education, and fiscal responsibility [10].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Gary Hartong - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Gary_Hartong)\n- [10] [Home | Elect Gary Hartong for Wake County](https://www.garyforwake.org/)\n- [12] [Gary Hartong, PE, LEED AP on LinkedIn: These greenway improvements will connect existing Wake Forest greenways](https://cp.linkedin.com/posts/gary-hartong-pe-leed-ap-344042b_these-greenway-improvements-will-connect-activity-6980342668425883648-XMDN)","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_at_large","county":"wake","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Wake County Board Of Commissioners At-Large"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Gary","fullname":"Gary Dale Hartong","lastname":"Hartong","middlename":"Dale","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_at_large","contest_title":"Wake County Board Of Commissioners At-Large","county":"wake","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"wake","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"wake","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission_at_large","contest_title":"Wake County Board Of Commissioners At-Large","county":"wake","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"wake","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":"Gary Hartong, a civil\u2011engineer and president of The Wooten Company, is the Republican candidate for Wake County Board of Commissioners At\u2011Large in 2026, emphasizing infrastructure, schools, and fiscal conservancy.","terms":[],"token":"1960a39c45e9e5cc"}