{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nSue Lynn Ledford is a Republican member of the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners, representing District 4. She won the March 3, 2026 Republican primary outright with 45.42% of the vote, defeating three-term incumbent Dan Eichenbaum (18.4%, third place) and retail manager Barry Killian (33.93%, second place); withdrawn candidate Tom O'Leske still appeared on the ballot and received 2.18% [1]. After Eichenbaum resigned his seat on March 9, 2026, Ledford was selected by the Cherokee County Republican Party Executive Committee to fill the vacancy [2]. She is running unopposed in the November 3, 2026 general election [2].\n\n## Career\nLedford is executive director of Four Square Community Action, Inc., and previously worked as a public health nurse and county health director [2][3]. Her swearing-in, alongside fellow commissioner Jeana Conley, was noted locally as the first time two Cherokee County commissioners held doctorate-level degrees at the same time [2][3].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Voters toss incumbents in Cherokee County elections \u2013 Cherokee Scout](https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-news/voters-toss-incumbent-cherokee-county-commissioners)\n[2] [Conley, Ledford take seats on Cherokee County Board of Commissioners \u2013 Cherokee Scout](https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-newsletter/conley-ledford-take-seats-cherokee-county-board-commissioners)\n[3] [Conley and Ledford will make history \u2013 Cherokee Scout](https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-newsletter/conley-and-ledford-will-make-history)","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_i","county":"cherokee","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Cherokee County Board Of Commissioners District I"},{"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":"Sue","fullname":"Sue Lynn Ledford","lastname":"Ledford","middlename":"Lynn","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission_district_i","contest_title":"Cherokee County Board Of Commissioners District I","county":"cherokee","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"cherokee","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},{"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":[]}],"summary":"Per the NC voter file: REP voter in Cherokee County since 1980.","terms":[],"token":"a82236317274a687"}