{"biography":"Earl M. Blackburn Jr. is a Republican candidate for the Elkin City Schools Board of Education City District, a two\u2011member governing body that sets policy, approves the district budget, adopts curriculum standards, and hires the superintendent for the Elkin City Schools in Surry County, North Carolina [2]. The board\u2019s duties are defined by state law and local ordinances, requiring members to attend regular meetings, review financial reports, and represent the interests of students, parents, and taxpayers.\n\nBlackburn was born and raised in North Carolina before moving to Louisiana, where he served as senior pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Shreveport and held the chairmanship of the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America (ARBCA) for roughly two decades. He retired from ARBCA in 2019 and returned to his home state of North Carolina, where he entered local politics [11].\n\nIn 2022, Blackburn entered the race for the Elkin City Schools Board of Education. He filed for the Republican primary held on May 17, 2022, competing alongside Johnny M. Blevins, Patty Crosswhite, and Denny Lazar. After advancing from the primary, he appeared on the general\u2011election ballot on November 8, 2022, where two seats were contested. The ballot listed Blackburn, fellow Republican Johnny M. Blevins, and unaffiliated candidates Will Ballard and Mary Keller. Blackburn was elected to the board in that election [2].\n\nAlthough Blackburn did not complete Ballotpedia\u2019s Candidate Connection survey, his campaign contact information is publicly listed as earlofblackburn@gmail.com, indicating a willingness to engage with voters directly [2]. No phone number is provided in the available sources. His public profile includes a photo featured in a local news article covering his election victory, which can serve as a visual identifier for voters [11].\n\nBlackburn\u2019s background as a longtime church leader and former ARBCA chairman suggests experience in organizational governance and community outreach, which he has highlighted as assets for serving on the school board. His stated motivations for running include a desire to contribute to local education and to bring his leadership experience to the district\u2019s decision\u2011making processes, though specific policy positions are not detailed in the cited sources.\n\n## Sources\n- [2] [Earl M. Blackburn (Elkin City Schools Board of Education City District, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Earl_M._Blackburn_(Elkin_City_Schools_Board_of_Education_City_District,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2022))\n- [7] [Candidate Profiles \u2013 NC Voter Guide](https://ncvoterguide.org/profiles/)\n- [11] [Former ARBCA Chairman and pastor Earl Blackburn Wins Seat on Elkin School Board | The Wartburg Watch 2024](https://thewartburgwatch.com/tww2/2022/11/16/former-arbca-chairman-and-pastor-earl-blackburn-wins-seat-on-elkin-school-board/)","campaigns":[{"contest":"elkin_city_school_city_district","county":"surry","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Elkin City Schools Board Of Education City District"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Earl","fullname":"Earl Michael Blackburn JR","lastname":"Blackburn","middlename":"Michael","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"elkin_city_school_city_district","contest_title":"Elkin City Schools Board Of Education City District","county":"surry","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"surry","office_key":"school_board","office_title":"School Board Member","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"surry","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"elkin_city_school_city_district","contest_title":"Elkin City Schools Board Of Education City District","county":"surry","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"surry","office_key":"school_board","office_title":"School Board Member","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"REP","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"school_board","office_title":"School Board Member","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"suffix":"JR","summary":"Earl M. Blackburn Jr., a Republican former ARBCA chairman and pastor, is running for the Elkin City Schools Board of Education City District in Surry County, NC.","terms":[],"token":"2dedd00723772fe4"}