{"biography":"Jessica Rebecca Myers Thomas is a candidate for the Duplin County Board of Commissioners, seeking the District\u202f02 seat as an unaffiliated (UNA) contender in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 election. The Board of Commissioners serves as the chief governing body for Duplin County, responsible for setting policy, adopting the county budget, overseeing land\u2011use decisions, and managing essential services such as public safety, health, and infrastructure. Commissioners work with the county manager and other elected officials to address the needs of residents across urban and rural areas of the county.\n\nThomas lives in Kenansville, the county seat of Duplin, and is a mother of three boys. She has spoken publicly about her personal experiences with perinatal mental\u2011health challenges, including postpartum obsessive\u2011compulsive disorder and post\u2011traumatic stress disorder following the birth of her third child. In a 2025 interview, Thomas described the survival mindset she adopted during those periods and highlighted the scarcity of mental\u2011health resources for mothers in rural North Carolina, noting that even counties not classified as maternity\u2011care deserts, like Duplin, still face gaps in education and provider availability [11].\n\nWhile the public record does not detail Thomas\u2019s formal education or prior professional career, her advocacy on perinatal mental\u2011health issues aligns with the work of organizations such as Mind the Gap North Carolina and March for Dimes, which are pushing for increased funding, provider training, and expanded Medicaid coverage in the state. By sharing her story, Thomas aims to bring attention to the broader issue of maternal mental health, emphasizing that \u201cmoms exist on all party lines\u201d and that improving care is a community\u2011wide concern [11].\n\nThomas\u2019s campaign positions her as a community\u2011focused candidate who seeks to address health\u2011care access, especially mental\u2011health services, for families in Duplin County. Her platform is expected to prioritize expanding local health resources, supporting rural providers, and ensuring that county policies reflect the needs of mothers and families across the district. Though specific policy proposals have not been detailed in the available sources, her public statements suggest a commitment to bridging the gap between rural health infrastructure and the mental\u2011health needs of residents.\n\nIf elected, Thomas would join the six\u2011member board to help shape budgetary decisions, land\u2011use planning, and service delivery for Duplin County, bringing a personal perspective on health\u2011care challenges to the governing body.\n\n## Sources\n- [11] [Experts say more than 15,000 women will experience a perinatal mental health condition in N.C. each year](https://www.yahoo.com/news/experts-more-15-000-women-224331683.html)","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_02","county":"duplin","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Duplin County Board Of Commissioners District 02"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Jessica","fullname":"Jessica Rebecca Myers Thomas","lastname":"Thomas","middlename":"Rebecca Myers","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_02","contest_title":"Duplin County Board Of Commissioners District 02","county":"duplin","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"duplin","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"UNA","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"duplin","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission_district_02","contest_title":"Duplin County Board Of Commissioners District 02","county":"duplin","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"duplin","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"UNA","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"UNA","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Jessica Rebecca Myers Thomas is running as an unaffiliated candidate for Duplin County Board of Commissioners District\u202f02, emphasizing perinatal mental\u2011health advocacy.","terms":[],"token":"8af7ab361dcf3600"}