{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nRaymond Nicholas Lofthouse, also known as Nick Lofthouse, ran as a Republican candidate for Macon County Board of Commissioners District 2 in the March 3, 2026 North Carolina Republican primary. The district is in western North Carolina.\n\nLofthouse has advocated for improved county communication infrastructure so residents can more easily access essential information about schools and county services. He supports maintaining a healthy county fund balance as evidence of fiscal responsibility, opposes hiring freezes as a long-term county staffing strategy, and has criticized deferring necessary expenses as a budget management practice.\n\n## Background and education\nHe grew up in the Echo Valley community in Macon County and was raised by his mother, Kate.\n\n## Career\nLofthouse serves as a Captain overseeing crime prevention operations at the Macon County Sheriff's Office (MCSO), drawing on his law enforcement experience in his campaign for county governance. He also owns a small printing business, giving him experience as both a public servant and a small business owner in Western North Carolina.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Macon Republican Primary candidates address issues ahead of election day \u2013 Smoky Mountain News](https://smokymountainnews.com/news/item/40906-macon-republican-primary-candidates-address-issues-ahead-of-election-day)\n- [2] [Local Candidates \u2013 Macon County GOP](https://macongop.org/local-candidates)\n- [3] [Candidates \u2013 Macon County North Carolina](https://maconnc.org/Candidates.html)\n","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_02","county":"macon","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Macon County Board Of Commissioners District 02"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Raymond","fullname":"Raymond Nicholas Lofthouse","lastname":"Lofthouse","middlename":"Nicholas","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_02","contest_title":"Macon County Board Of Commissioners District 02","county":"macon","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"macon","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"macon","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission_district_02","contest_title":"Macon County Board Of Commissioners District 02","county":"macon","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"macon","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":[]}],"terms":[],"token":"53bdb964b676dcd0"}