{"biography":"Caroline Marie Renfro is the Democratic candidate for Ashe County Commissioner in the November 3, 2026 general election [10]. A native of Charlotte, she has lived in Ashe County for roughly five years but has known the area for more than two decades because her parents, Diana and Traylor Renfro, reside there [7].\n\nRenfro became deeply involved in local affairs after Hurricane Helene struck the region in 2024. She served on the Board of Directors for the Ashe Chamber of Commerce and was Past Chair/CEO of Lost Province Arts, leading the organization\u2019s relief response on the Lost Province campus. Those efforts earned a Dogwood Award from the North Carolina Attorney General\u2019s office and an Ashe County Volunteer Initiative Business of the Year Award from the County Board of Commissioners [7].\n\nIn addition to her disaster\u2011relief work, Renfro has a 20\u2011year career in film, television, and radio. After moving to Ashe, she entered the music industry as business manager for the internationally\u2011known bluegrass group the Kruger Brothers and opened a recording studio, Buddy Holler, in Lansing in the summer of 2025 [7]. She also produced a documentary in September 2024 about Ann Rose\u2019s solo kayaking journey from Little Horse Creek to the Gulf of Mexico, a project that placed her in New\u202fOrleans as Hurricane Helene approached the coast [7].\n\nRenfro\u2019s community leadership extends to nonprofit fundraising. She organized a GoFundMe campaign to keep the Lost Province Center for Cultural Arts (LPCCA) operating after the floods, coordinating donation drives, a generator\u2011lending library, and temporary shelter services for residents affected by the storm [11].\n\nRunning for County Commissioner, Renfro says she wants to create opportunities, eliminate barriers to access, and lead with empathy, emphasizing that leaders must listen to residents to understand their needs [7]. Her blend of creative problem\u2011solving, arts\u2011industry experience, and hands\u2011on disaster\u2011relief work forms the basis of her platform for Ashe County.\n\n## Sources\n- [7] [Caroline Renfro, candidate for Ashe County Commissioner, addresses Democratic Women of Ashe | News | ashepostandtimes.com](https://www.ashepostandtimes.com/news/caroline-renfro-candidate-for-ashe-county-commissioner-addresses-democratic-women-of-ashe/article_7ad06c48-8c9d-4310-b580-d89e995ebb58.html)\n- [10] [Local Candidates - Ashe County](https://www.ashecountygov.com/departments/board-of-elections/candidates)\n- [11] [Fundraiser by Caroline Renfro : Keep LPCCA Running for Lansing's Recovery](https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-lpcca-running-for-lansings-recovery)","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission","county":"ashe","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Ashe County Board Of Commissioners"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Caroline","fullname":"Caroline Marie Renfro","lastname":"Renfro","middlename":"Marie","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission","contest_title":"Ashe County Board Of Commissioners","county":"ashe","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"ashe","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"ashe","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission","contest_title":"Ashe County Board Of Commissioners","county":"ashe","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"ashe","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"DEM","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Caroline Renfro, a Democrat and longtime arts professional, is running for Ashe County Commissioner after leading disaster\u2011relief and community initiatives.","terms":[],"token":"5eb3e0dc4b8fb0d1"}