{"biography":"Harley Miller Masters is a Republican member of the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners and is seeking re\u2011election to the board in the 2026 general election on November 3, 2026.  He currently serves as Chairman of the three\u2011member board, a role he held at the August 5, 2024 regular session where he called the meeting to order and presented the Employee of the Month award\u30106\u3011.  In the February 6, 2023 session he was listed as Vice\u2011Chairman, indicating his service on the board dates back at least to early 2023\u30108\u3011.\n\nPublicly available biographical details such as education or prior professional experience are not provided in the sources consulted.  The Ballotpedia entry notes that Masters was a Republican candidate for the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners in the 2024 election, appearing on the November 5, 2024 general\u2011election ballot\u30101\u3011.\n\nMasters\u2019 career on the board includes participation in regular legislative actions: adopting agendas, approving minutes, moving items for discussion, and recognizing county employees.  He has also taken steps to enhance his preparedness for county emergencies.  In May 2024 he completed the \"100 Counties Prepared\" Emergency Management training program at the State Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh, a course designed to equip elected officials with response knowledge for natural disasters and public\u2011health crises\u30102\u3011.\n\nDuring his tenure, Masters has been active in board governance, making motions on lease agreements and agenda changes, and supporting community recognitions such as the Governors Volunteer Award and employee honors\u30106\u3011.  His leadership role positions him to influence county policy, budgeting, and service delivery, as reflected in the board\u2019s regular proceedings.\n\nIn the upcoming 2026 race, Masters will again run as a Republican for one of the three seats on the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners.  The ballot will be held on November 3, 2026, and his prior experience as both Vice\u2011Chairman and Chairman is presented as part of his candidacy.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Harley Masters (Mitchell County Board of Commissioners, North Carolina, candidate 2024) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Harley_Masters_(Mitchell_County_Board_of_Commissioners,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2024))\n- [2] [Commissioner Harley Masters Completes Emergency Management Training - Mitchell County, North Carolina](https://www.mitchellcountync.gov/commissioner-harley-masters-completes-emergency-management-training/)\n- [6] [MInutes of the August 5, 2024 County Commission Regular Session - Mitchell County, North Carolina](https://www.mitchellcountync.gov/minutes-of-the-august-5-2024-county-commission-regular-session/)\n- [8] [Minutes of the February 6, 2023 County Commission Regular Session - Mitchell County, North Carolina](https://www.mitchellcountync.gov/minutes-of-the-february-6-2023-county-commission-regular-session/)\n- [9] [Harley-Masters-2023 - Mitchell County, North Carolina](https://www.mitchellcountync.gov/departments/commissioners/harley-masters-2023/)","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission","county":"mitchell","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Mitchell County Board Of Commissioners"},{"contest":"county_commission","county":"mitchell","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Mitchell County Board Of Commissioners"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Harley","fullname":"Harley Miller Masters","lastname":"Masters","middlename":"Miller","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission","contest_title":"Mitchell County Board Of Commissioners","county":"mitchell","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"mitchell","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},{"contest":"county_commission","contest_title":"Mitchell County Board Of Commissioners","county":"mitchell","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"mitchell","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"mitchell","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission","contest_title":"Mitchell County Board Of Commissioners","county":"mitchell","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"mitchell","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":"Harley Masters, Republican Chairman of the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners, is running for re\u2011election in the 2026 county commission race.","terms":[],"token":"213884bd680aa795"}