{"biography":"Steve W. Starnes is the Democratic candidate for a seat on the Burke County Board of Commissioners in North Carolina.  According to a profile published by The News Herald on Morganton.com, Starnes is running in the 2026 local election that will be held on November 3, 2026\u202f[12].  The article identifies him as a Democrat and specifies the office he seeks, the Burke County Board of Commissioners\u202f[12].  The same piece includes a photograph of Starnes, showing him in a portrait that is used to illustrate the candidate\u2019s profile\u202f[12].  The coverage is part of the newspaper\u2019s election reporting for Burke County, providing voters with basic information about the individuals on the ballot\u202f[12].  No additional details about Starnes\u2019s personal background, education, professional experience, or policy positions are provided in the source.  Voters seeking further information about his platform or qualifications will need to consult additional resources beyond this brief news article.\n\n## Sources\n- [12] [Steve Starnes, Democrat candidate for Burke County Board of Commissioners](https://morganton.com/news/election/steve-starnes-democrat-candidate-for-burke-county-board-of-commissioners/article_28332f46-54c3-11ed-915e-9bf69f9adb9f.html)","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission","county":"burke","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Burke County Board Of Commissioners"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Steve","fullname":"Steve W Starnes","lastname":"Starnes","middlename":"W","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission","contest_title":"Burke County Board Of Commissioners","county":"burke","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"burke","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"burke","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission","contest_title":"Burke County Board Of Commissioners","county":"burke","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"burke","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":"Steve W. Starnes is the Democratic candidate for Burke County Board of Commissioners in the 2026 election.","terms":[],"token":"7ffd1a8980a49991"}