{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nJeffery \"Jeff\" Harding Sr. (Republican) has served on the Mitchell County, NC Board of Commissioners since 2018 and was serving as board chairman as of December 2025 [1]. He ran for another term in the March 3, 2026 Republican primary, a vote-for-three contest with six candidates, but placed fifth with 1,795 votes and did not advance; incumbent Steve Pitman and newcomers Harley Masters and Vic Burleson took the three available spots on the November 2026 general-election ballot, per certified NC State Board of Elections primary results [3].\n\n## Career\n\nHarding is the owner and operator of Harding's Landscaping and Lawn Maintenance and co-owner of Lakeview Mercantile and Gardens. During his time on the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners he prioritized county infrastructure improvements, including construction of a new middle school, a new Sheriff's Department building, and a county jail [1][2].\n\n## Family\n\nHis wife Darla Harding serves as Mayor of Spruce Pine, NC.\n\n## Sources\n\n- [1] [Jeff Harding - Mitchell County NC](https://www.mitchellcountync.gov/departments/commissioners/jeff-harding/)\n- [2] [Candidate Profiles - The Mitchell News](https://www.mitchellnews.com/local/candidate-profiles-commissioners-candidates-boast-variety-backgrounds-ideas)\n- [3] North Carolina State Board of Elections, March 3, 2026 certified primary precinct-level results (`results_pct_20260303.txt`), Mitchell County, Board of Commissioners (REP) contest","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission","county":"mitchell","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Mitchell County Board Of Commissioners"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Jeffery","fullname":"Jeffery Brooks Harding SR","lastname":"Harding","middlename":"Brooks","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission","contest_title":"Mitchell County Board Of Commissioners","county":"mitchell","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"mitchell","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"mitchell","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission","contest_title":"Mitchell County Board Of Commissioners","county":"mitchell","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"mitchell","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":[]}],"suffix":"SR","terms":[],"token":"aa9dcd45cccf4001"}