{"biography":"Dorothy Lynn \"Dot\" Cherry is the incumbent at\u2011large member of the Gaston County Schools Board of Education in North Carolina and is seeking re\u2011election for the 2026 election cycle. The at\u2011large seat is a nonpartisan position that represents the entire county on the board, which governs the public school system. Cherry first won election to the board in the November 4, 2014 general election, receiving 51.5% of the vote (23,808 votes) among a field of four candidates\u30102\u3011. She was re\u2011elected in the November 6, 2018 general election, capturing 97.6% of the vote (48,586 votes) with only write\u2011in opposition\u30102\u3011. She assumed office in 2014 and her current term is set to expire in 2026\u30102\u3011.  \n\nCherry\u2019s tenure on the board has spanned over a decade, during which she has participated in the board\u2019s oversight of district policies, budgeting, and educational programs, as required of all board members. Specific initiatives or platform positions for the 2026 race have not been detailed in the available sources.  \n\nNo publicly listed email address, telephone number, campaign website, or candidate portrait was found in the referenced material.\n\n## Sources\n- [2] [Dot Cherry - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Dot_Cherry)","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_school_board_at_large","county":"gaston","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Gaston County Board Of Education At-Large"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Dorothy","fullname":"Dorothy Lynn Cherry","lastname":"Cherry","middlename":"Lynn","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_school_board_at_large","contest_title":"Gaston County Board Of Education At-Large","county":"gaston","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"gaston","office_key":"county_school_board","office_title":"County School Board Member","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"gaston","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_school_board_at_large","contest_title":"Gaston County Board Of Education At-Large","county":"gaston","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"gaston","office_key":"county_school_board","office_title":"County School Board Member","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"REP","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_school_board","office_title":"County School Board Member","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Dot Cherry is the incumbent at\u2011large member of the Gaston County Schools Board seeking re\u2011election in 2026.","terms":[],"token":"582dfdcb9386ab87"}