{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nRichard Karl Watts Jr. (Democrat) is an incumbent member of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education, serving at large. He is seeking a second term in 2026, having first won election in 2022.\n\n## Background and education\n\nWatts attended Wake Forest University on nearly a full scholarship. He then became an 8th-grade social studies teacher.\n\n## Career\n\nWatts spent more than 32 years in Forsyth County public schools as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal. He taught at Wiley Middle School, served as assistant principal at Southwest Elementary School in Clemmons, and was principal at Kimberley Park Elementary, Julian Gibson Elementary, and Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy. He was named Principal of the Year by his peers on at least two occasions. He has pastored his congregation at Rickards Chapel AME Zion Church for 36 years.\n\n## Sources\n\n- [1] [WSFCS Board of Education Candidate Responses, Richard Watts, At Large \u2013 Clemmons Courier](https://clemmonscourier.com/2022/11/03/wsfcs-board-of-education-candidate-responses-richard-watts-at-large/)\n- [2] [Democrat Watts says he will seek second term on Forsyth school board \u2013 Journal Now](https://journalnow.com/news/local/education/article_b0a80b63-7605-46e0-909b-fb1883664983.html)","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_school_board_at_large","county":"forsyth","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Forsyth County Board Of Education At-Large"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Richard","fullname":"Richard Karl Watts JR","lastname":"Watts","middlename":"Karl","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_school_board_at_large","contest_title":"Forsyth County Board Of Education At-Large","county":"forsyth","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"forsyth","office_key":"county_school_board","office_title":"County School Board Member","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"forsyth","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_school_board_at_large","contest_title":"Forsyth County Board Of Education At-Large","county":"forsyth","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"forsyth","office_key":"county_school_board","office_title":"County School Board Member","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"DEM","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_school_board","office_title":"County School Board Member","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"suffix":"JR","terms":[],"token":"8aaed7bb41c99702"}