{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nDan Eichenbaum (\"Dr. Dan\"), a Republican, was the Cherokee County, North Carolina commissioner for District 4 and served as board chairman [1]. He sought re-election in the March 3, 2026 Republican primary but lost, finishing third among three active candidates with 18.4% of the vote; Sue Lynn Ledford won outright with 45.42%, avoiding a runoff, ahead of retail manager Barry Killian's 33.93% [2]. Eichenbaum resigned his commission seat on March 9, 2026, telling the county manager it had been \"an honor to serve the people of Cherokee County for the past 11 years\" [3].\n\n## Career\nEichenbaum is a physician \u2014 HuffPost identified him as an ophthalmologist \u2014 and a conservative talk-radio host [4]. Per his campaign/LinkedIn-listed biography, he graduated from the Yale School of Medicine cum laude, served as a commissioned naval officer during the Vietnam era, has authored 14 peer-reviewed articles, and holds six U.S. patents (LinkedIn requires login; reflects the public profile as of July 2026) [5]. He hosts \"Dr. Dan's Freedom Forum,\" a conservative talk-radio program on WJRB 95.1 FM also distributed as a podcast [6].\n\n## Office history\nEichenbaum was elected to the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners representing District 4, was re-elected in 2022, and was appointed board chairman [1][7]. He lost his 2026 re-election bid in the Republican primary and resigned March 9, 2026 [2][3].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\nAfter winning the 2014 county commissioner election, Eichenbaum and his wife, Rhonda Crowder, sued defeated opponent Edward Figueroa and Figueroa's wife for defamation. The two men had been friendly members of a preparedness group before a falling-out; during the campaign, Figueroa made claims about Eichenbaum involving moldy hay given to horses, membership in a militia-style group, improperly obtained prescriptions, outdated medical certifications, and intimidation of local businesses. Eichenbaum's suit alleged the statements were made \"with reckless disregard for the truth\"; Figueroa said his statements reflected \"firsthand knowledge\" and were constitutionally protected political speech about a public figure [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Dr. Dan Eichenbaum \u2013 Cherokee County, NC](https://www.cherokeecounty-nc.gov/344/Dr-Dan-Eichenbaum)\n[2] [Voters toss incumbents in Cherokee County elections \u2013 Cherokee Scout](https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-news/voters-toss-incumbent-cherokee-county-commissioners)\n[3] [Two Cherokee County commissioners resign, County Manager confirms \u2013 NewsChannel 9](https://newschannel9.com/news/local/two-cherokee-county-commissioners-resign-county-manager-confirms)\n[4] [Conservative County Commissioner Files Incendiary Lawsuit Against Defeated Opponent \u2013 HuffPost](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/defamation-suit-north-carolina_n_6736900)\n[5] [Dr. Dan Eichenbaum - LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-dan-eichenbaum-50234b2b/) (LinkedIn requires login; reflects the public profile as of July 2026)\n[6] [Dr. Dan's Freedom Forum](https://drdansfreedomforum.com/)\n[7] [Election 2022 Profiles \u2013 Dan Eichenbaum \u2013 Cherokee Scout](https://www.cherokeescout.com/local/election-2022-profiles-dan-eichenbaum)","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_i","county":"cherokee","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Cherokee County Board Of Commissioners District I"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Daniel","fullname":"Daniel Michael Eichenbaum","lastname":"Eichenbaum","middlename":"Michael","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_i","contest_title":"Cherokee County Board Of Commissioners District I","county":"cherokee","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"cherokee","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"cherokee","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission_district_i","contest_title":"Cherokee County Board Of Commissioners District I","county":"cherokee","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"cherokee","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":[]}],"terms":[],"token":"9e7de412b1e5bd19"}