{"biography":"Stacey Leonard Crouse is the Republican candidate for Lincoln County Clerk of Superior Court in the 2026 North Carolina election, a four\u2011year office that serves as the district\u2019s chief record keeper and presides over probate and estate matters [7].\n\nCrouse grew up in Lincolnton, North Carolina, and graduated from Lincolnton High School. She earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in criminal justice from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, laying the foundation for a career in the court system [7].\n\nHer professional experience spans more than 15 years in county clerk offices across Lincoln, Halifax, and Gaston counties. She began in the clerk\u2019s office of her hometown before moving to other jurisdictions, and also spent four years working for a private attorney. Since 2020, Crouse has served as the district court manager for Lincoln County, overseeing daily operations and staff coordination [7].\n\nIn her campaign, Crouse emphasizes her deep familiarity with the e\u2011court transition, noting that the previous paper\u2011based system was replaced statewide after two years of work. She argues that her varied courtroom experience positions her to address operational issues, improve cross\u2011training, and expand services such as the estate filing office. Crouse also advocates for greater alignment between Lincoln and Cleveland County court processes to reduce confusion for the public and legal professionals [7].\n\nCrouse describes the Clerk of Court as both a record\u2011keeping official and a judicial officer who manages deputies and assistants across civil, criminal, and special proceedings. She contends that the role\u2019s partisan nature stems from the need for elected judges to issue rulings, and she seeks the Republican nomination in the March\u202f3,\u202f2026 primary, with early voting running February\u202f12\u201128 and absentee ballot requests due February\u202f17 [7].\n\n## Sources\n- [7] [Stacey Crouse Running for Lincoln County, NC Clerk of Superior Court - Wise News Network](https://wisenewsnetwork.com/stories/stacey-crouse-running-for-lincoln-county-nc-clerk-of-superior-court,4786)","campaigns":[{"contest":"clerk_of_superior_court","county":"lincoln","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Lincoln County Clerk Of Superior Court"},{"contest":"clerk_of_superior_court","county":"lincoln","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Lincoln County Clerk Of Superior Court"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Stacey","fullname":"Stacey Leonard Crouse","lastname":"Crouse","middlename":"Leonard","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"clerk_of_superior_court","contest_title":"Lincoln County Clerk Of Superior Court","county":"lincoln","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"lincoln","office_key":"clerk_of_superior_court","office_title":"Clerk of Superior Court","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},{"contest":"clerk_of_superior_court","contest_title":"Lincoln County Clerk Of Superior Court","county":"lincoln","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"lincoln","office_key":"clerk_of_superior_court","office_title":"Clerk of Superior Court","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"lincoln","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"clerk_of_superior_court","contest_title":"Lincoln County Clerk Of Superior Court","county":"lincoln","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"lincoln","office_key":"clerk_of_superior_court","office_title":"Clerk of Superior Court","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"REP","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"clerk_of_superior_court","office_title":"Clerk of Superior Court","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Stacey Leonard Crouse, a Republican, is running for Lincoln County Clerk of Superior Court, leveraging 15+ years of clerk office experience and recent district court management.","terms":[],"token":"46e50684c51120a2"}