{"biography":"Sherry Edmonds Butler is a Republican incumbent serving on the Catawba County Board of Commissioners and is a candidate for re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election.  Butler has represented the county since 2014 and continues to hold leadership roles on several regional boards while emphasizing education, public health, and emergency services.\n\nA longtime Newton resident, Butler retired as executive director of The Green Room Community Theatre, Inc., and has been active in the Newton\u2011Conover Rotary Club, serving twice as its president.  She also served on the Catawba County Board of Education for many years, later becoming chair of the board of directors for the K\u201164 Education Board and a member of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners\u2019 Public Education Steering Committee.  Butler holds seats on the Catawba Valley Community College Board of Trustees and the Catawba County Social Services Board, where she serves as chair.\n\nIn her capacity as commissioner, Butler has overseen a range of county initiatives.  In May\u202f2021 she was selected for the inaugural Hunt State Policy Fellows Program, a statewide leadership cohort focused on education governance and policy\u2011making [1].  She has chaired the Catawba County Social Services Board, a role confirmed by the state Department of Health and Human Services staff list [3][5].  Butler also chairs the county\u2019s Social Services Board and serves on the county\u2019s Policy and Public Works Subcommittee.  In December\u202f2021 she participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new 5,925\u2011square\u2011foot Emergency Medical Services base in Newton, illustrating her involvement in public\u2011safety infrastructure projects [2].\n\nButler\u2019s public service record includes appointments to the statewide Justus\u2011Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force and leadership of the Catawba County Social Services Board, which advises on department policies affecting health, child welfare, and economic services.  Her community\u2011service background, combined with her long tenure on the county commission, positions her as a seasoned local official seeking to continue her work on education, health, and emergency\u2011services issues.\n\nButler\u2019s campaign for 2026 is listed as a Republican candidacy for the Catawba County Board of Commissioners, though a formal campaign website has not been identified in the available sources.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Catawba County Government - Catawba County North Carolina](https://catawbacountync.gov/news/commissioner-butler-selected-to-inaugural-hunt-state-policy-fellows-program/)\n- [2] [Catawba County - Catawba County Government - Catawba County North Carolina](https://www.catawbacountync.gov/news/commissioners-break-ground-at-site-of-future-new-ems-base-in-newton/)\n- [3] [Catawba County Department of Social Services | NCDHHS](https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/social-services/catawba-county-department-social-services)\n- [5] [Catawba County - Catawba County Government - Catawba County North Carolina](https://www.catawbacountync.gov/news/social-services-celebrates-new-retiring-board-members/)\n- [6] [Upcoming Election | NCSBE](https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/upcoming-election)\n- [7] [Candidate Lists | NCSBE](https://www.ncsbe.gov/results-data/candidate-lists)\n- [9] [Catawba County Schools - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherrills_Ford_Elementary_School)\n- [10] [Catawba County Schools - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catawba_County_Schools)\n- [11] [Vote-USA | Sherry Edmonds Butler | Previous Candidate for Catawba County Board of Commissioners, Catawba County, North Carolina](https://vote-usa.org/Intro.aspx?State=NC&Id=NCButlerSherryEdmonds)\n- [12] [Candidate Profiles \u2013 NC Voter Guide](https://ncvoterguide.org/profiles/)","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission","county":"catawba","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Catawba County Board Of Commissioners"},{"contest":"county_commission","county":"catawba","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Catawba County Board Of Commissioners"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Sherry","fullname":"Sherry Edmonds Butler","lastname":"Butler","middlename":"Edmonds","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission","contest_title":"Catawba County Board Of Commissioners","county":"catawba","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"catawba","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},{"contest":"county_commission","contest_title":"Catawba County Board Of Commissioners","county":"catawba","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"catawba","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"catawba","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission","contest_title":"Catawba County Board Of Commissioners","county":"catawba","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"catawba","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"REP","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Sherry Edmonds Butler, a Republican incumbent commissioner since 2014, is running for re\u2011election to the Catawba County Board of Commissioners in 2026.","terms":[],"token":"8d4b3ae01b59e11b"}