{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nBenjamin \"Ben\" Cooke is the Republican incumbent on the Mount Airy City Schools Board of Education, District B, seeking re-election in the November 3, 2026 general election [1][2]. He has served on the board since 2010 and ran unopposed for re-election in 2022, receiving 3,008 votes to 14 write-ins [3].\n\n## Background and education\nCooke was born and raised in Mount Airy and graduated from Mount Airy City Schools in 1989 [1].\n\n## Career\nCooke and his wife, Lone, own and operate Cooke Rentals, Inc. [1]. He has assisted with the Mount Airy High School football program since 1998, and was part of a board group that represented Mount Airy City Schools on the district's first educational trip to China [1].\n\n## Family\nCooke and his wife have three children \u2014 Hanne, Martin, and Peter \u2014 who all graduated from Mount Airy High School [1].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Meet the Board \u2013 Board of Education \u2013 Mount Airy City Schools](https://www.mtairy.k12.nc.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=334417&type=d&pREC_ID=762213)\n- [2] [School board candidates emerge \u2013 Mt. Airy News](https://www.mtairynews.com/news/school-board-candidates-emerge/article_8ec7e6e2-4f8a-4446-b9f4-5d7db23b333f.html)\n- [3] [Mount Airy City Schools, North Carolina, elections - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Mount_Airy_City_Schools,_North_Carolina,_elections)","campaigns":[{"contest":"mount_airy_city_school_district_b","county":"surry","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Mount Airy City Schools Board Of Education District B"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Benjamin","fullname":"Benjamin Mcrae Cooke","lastname":"Cooke","middlename":"Mcrae","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"mount_airy_city_school_district_b","contest_title":"Mount Airy City Schools Board Of Education District B","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":"mount_airy_city_school_district_b","contest_title":"Mount Airy City Schools Board Of Education District B","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":[]}],"summary":"Benjamin Mcrae Cooke is the Republican candidate for Mount Airy City Schools Board of Education District\u202fB in the 2026 NC election.","terms":[],"token":"456ea2d637ce2e53"}