{"biography":"Aaron Daniel Bridges is a Republican incumbent serving as Vice Chairman of the Cleveland County Board of Education in North Carolina and is a candidate for a Republican seat on the same board in the November 3, 2026 election.  In 2022 he won his first seat on the four\u2011member board, appearing on the general\u2011election ballot on November 8, 2022 after advancing from a crowded Republican primary that included seven other candidates [1].  He now seeks re\u2011election to continue the work he began during his first term.\n\nBridges grew up in Cleveland County and attended the local public schools, beginning at Jefferson Elementary and graduating from Kings Mountain High School.  He currently resides in Shelby with his wife and their four children, all of whom are enrolled in Cleveland County schools from pre\u2011K through 12th grade [9].  No higher\u2011education credentials are listed in the available sources.\n\nSince taking office, Bridges has focused on several key issues for the district.  He has highlighted teacher and staff retention as a major challenge, arguing that low pay drives educators to leave the profession or move to neighboring states.  To address this, the board, in partnership with county commissioners, instituted a 10\u202f% salary supplement for teachers and a 4\u202f% supplement for support staff, paid twice a year [9].  Bridges has advocated for increased state education funding to sustain these raises.\n\nBridges also opposed two controversial board actions.  He voted against a policy that would limit board members\u2019 ability to speak with the media, asserting that elected officials must remain accountable to the public.  He also voted against the proposed sale of the Marion Elementary School property, citing community concerns and the need for greater public input before proceeding.  The board subsequently paused the sale [9].\n\nAcademic performance has been another focus.  Bridges points to rising test scores and higher graduation rates, noting that many students graduate with an associate\u2019s degree or have taken college courses through Cleveland Community College.  He attributes these gains to the district\u2019s return to in\u2011person instruction after the COVID\u201119 pandemic and to new instructional strategies implemented by the board [9].\n\nIn addition to his board duties, Bridges has been active in community outreach, emphasizing the importance of listening to diverse perspectives among board members and constituents.  He describes his role as a logical decision\u2011maker who seeks to balance fiscal responsibility with educational quality.\n\nBridges can be contacted via the email address listed on his Ballotpedia profile, electaaronbridgesboe@gmail.com, which is provided for voters to request additional information or to submit survey responses [1].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Aaron Bridges (Cleveland County Board of Education, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Aaron_Bridges_(Cleveland_County_Schools,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2022))\n- [2] [Aaron Bridges (Cleveland County Board of Education, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Aaron_Bridges_(Cleveland_County_Board_of_Education,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2022))\n- [4] [Vote-USA | Aaron Bridges | Previous Candidate for Cleveland County Board of Education, Cleveland County, North Carolina](https://vote-usa.org/Intro.aspx?State=NC&Id=NCBridgesAaron)\n- [9] [Aaron Bridges, Cleveland County School Board Vice Chairman Seeks Re-Election - Wise News Network](https://wisenewsnetwork.com/stories/aaron-bridges-cleveland-county-school-board-vice-chairman-seeks-re-election,4765)","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_school_board","county":"cleveland","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Cleveland County Board Of Education"},{"contest":"county_school_board","county":"cleveland","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Cleveland County Board Of Education"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Aaron","fullname":"Aaron Daniel Bridges","lastname":"Bridges","middlename":"Daniel","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_school_board","contest_title":"Cleveland County Board Of Education","county":"cleveland","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"cleveland","office_key":"county_school_board","office_title":"County School Board Member","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},{"contest":"county_school_board","contest_title":"Cleveland County Board Of Education","county":"cleveland","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"cleveland","office_key":"county_school_board","office_title":"County School Board Member","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"cleveland","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_school_board","contest_title":"Cleveland County Board Of Education","county":"cleveland","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"cleveland","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":"Aaron Bridges is the incumbent Vice Chairman of the Cleveland County Board of Education seeking re\u2011election in 2026.","terms":[],"token":"72d2a9a7ef72169f"}