{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJoseph McKinley Alston, known as Joe Alston, ran as a Democratic candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives in District 60, covering the High Point area of southwest Guilford County [1][2]. In the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary, Alston was one of three challengers to incumbent Rep. Amanda Cook; Cook won the race [3].\n\nAlston's campaign platform centered on expanding access to workforce training and apprenticeships, investing in youth centers and community violence interruption programs, fully funding public schools and increasing teacher compensation, expanding healthcare access including mental health services, and protecting voting rights [1].\n\n## Background and education\nAlston has been a resident of High Point, North Carolina, for more than 43 years [1].\n\n## Career\nAlston works as a Program Manager and Career Counselor at WRLP, where he supports underserved individuals through workforce development resources and programming [1]. Over more than three decades, he has held leadership positions in statewide nonprofit, social justice, and public service organizations, with a sustained focus on youth enrichment, neighborhood revitalization, and economic mobility for disadvantaged populations in Guilford County [1][2].\n\nAlston has devoted more than 30 years to serving on boards and commissions focused on youth enrichment and neighborhood revitalization across Guilford County [1].\n\n## Family\nAlston has lived in High Point for more than four decades with his wife, Vicki [1].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [About \u2013 Joe Alston for NC House](https://www.joealstonfornchouse60.com/about-8)\n- [2] [2026 Primary Candidate Detail List \u2013 NC State Board of Elections](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/2026_primary_candidate_detail_list_federal_and_state.pdf)\n- [3] [2026 Williams Mullen NC Primary Election Update](https://www.williamsmullen.com/insights/news/legal-news/2026-williams-mullen-nc-primary-election-update)\n","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_060","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 060"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Joseph","fullname":"Joseph Mckinley Alston","lastname":"Alston","middlename":"Mckinley","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_060","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 060","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"state_house_060","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 060","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"DEM","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"terms":[],"token":"46c08d640a8f84f5"}