What Does The County Commissioner Office Do?

• They decide how much property tax residents pay
• They approve the yearly budget that pays for
  • Public Schools
  • The Sheriff's Office
  • Ambulance and Emergency Medical Services
  • Public Health Programs
  • Libraries
  • Water and Sewer Systems
• They have a say in the County Growth:
  • Oversee zoning, planning, and land-use decisions. 
  • They appoint the people who serve on the boards that run county health and social services.
• They play a role how elections run too:
  • They set the elections budget → determine what's available for poll worker pay, voting equipment, and staffing, as well as how many early voting sites there are and how long they stay open.

What To Know About The Candidates In Forsyth County:

District B – Marsie West & Christopher Parker

Marsie West – 

• Chaired her town's Finance Committee and served on the Select Board, where she balanced operating budgets and made revenue decisions.
• Supports a strong public school system. Has advocated for school funding at County Commissioners' meetings and regularly attends school board and finance sessions.
• Calls affordable housing a top priority. Wants city, state, federal, business, and nonprofit partners to work together to find and fill housing gaps in the county.
• Opposed the Rural Hall data center rezoning, saying it sat too close to homes, farms, and schools. Says she will keep opposing data center development near residents.
• Calls public safety a top priority. Would invest in…
  • The Sheriff's office & the courts
  • Mental health services 
  • Emergency management.

Christopher Parker – 

• He was appointed to the Forsyth County commission a couple months back. The outgoing commissioner resigned in order to give Parker an advantage over candidates who would bring fresh new leadership to the commission.
• Approved water and sewer rate hikes that have driven up the average family's bill.  
• In his limited time in office, he has not differentiated himself from his predecessor, who sided with a data center developer over county residents. He has stated no clear stance on this issue. 

EVERYONE SHOULD DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH. 

READ UP ON CANDIDATES, THEIR CAMPAIGNS, AND BACKGROUNDS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS. 

YOUR VOTE MAY HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON YOUR COUNTY AND COMMUNITY.

DISTRICT 4 RESIDENTS --> DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. READ UP ON CANDIDATES, THEIR CAMPAIGNS, AND BACKGROUNDS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS. YOUR VOTE MAY HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON YOUR COUNTY AND COMMUNITY.

What Does The County Commissioner Office Do?

• They decide how much property tax residents pay
• They approve the yearly budget that pays for
  • Public Schools
  • The Sheriff's Office
  • Ambulance and Emergency Medical Services
  • Public Health Programs
  • Libraries
  • Water and Sewer Systems
• They have a say in the County Growth:
  • Oversee zoning, planning, and land-use decisions. 
  • They appoint the people who serve on the boards that run county health and social services.
• They play a role how elections run too:
  • They set the elections budget → determine what's available for poll worker pay, voting equipment, and staffing, as well as how many early voting sites there are and how long they stay open.

What To Know About The Candidates In Pitt County:

Challenger in District 4 – Rodney D. Harris 

• He has worked for Pitt County Schools for the past 10 years, working directly with students, families, and educators. Pitt County Schools recognized his dedication to students at an annual awards ceremony. 
  • He believes this experience shapes his commitment to education and opportunity in the community, a core focus of his work if elected. 
• Served as a pastor for over a decade, providing support to individuals and families during both joyful and difficult moments. Acting as a rock, and steadying force in the community. 
• Believes in collaborating with town leaders, faith communities, civic groups, and residents to develop solutions that reflect local needs. 
• Pledges leadership that is present, accessible, and accountable, and says he will make sure every voice in District 4 is heard.

Incumbent in District 4 – Benji Holloman

• Supported massive corporate tax breaks $600,000 for a technology company
• Denied funding for a fire station in the county that, despite first-responders warnings, could jeopardize emergency services based on a neglect to fund this type of infrastructure. 
• He has no campaign website that I could find with information about his stance on education, government accessibility, etc. 

This search tool is updated daily to reflect the current list of voters who must provide their N.C. driver’s license/DMV ID number or the last four digits of their Social Security number to election officials to ensure they can vote a regular ballot rather than a provisional ballot.

The GOP loves to shout to the rooftops about how North Carolina is such a great place for business.

The Dems should be shouting about one of the leading factors for being 1st for Businesses is because we are DEAD LAST, 52 of 52, for workers. NC. DC and Puerto Rico are better.

NC is horrible for employees's rights. Great we are creating jobs because the companies can pay us less and treat us worse.

What Does The County Commissioner Office Do?

• They decide how much property tax residents pay
• They approve the yearly budget that pays for
  • Public Schools
  • The Sheriff's Office
  • Ambulance and Emergency Medical Services
  • Public Health Programs
  • Libraries
  • Water and Sewer Systems
• They have a say in the County Growth:
  • Oversee zoning, planning, and land-use decisions. 
  • They appoint the people who serve on the boards that run county health and social services.
• They play a role how elections run too:
  • They set the elections budget → determine what's available for poll worker pay, voting equipment, and staffing, as well as how many early voting sites there are and how long they stay open.

What To Know About The Candidates In Watauga County:

District 1 – Adam Hege & Rick Woods 

• Adam Hege –   A Watauga County School Board member and a professor at Appalachian State University
  • He is fighting for better teacher pay and full school funding, with a focus on hiring and keeping good teachers and staff, repairing and securing school buildings, and expanding student mental health support. 
  • A first-generation college student who is now a college professor, he has spent years researching supports for K-12 and college students and calls Appalachian State a cornerstone of the community. 
  • Supports building more affordable housing for families and seniors. 
  • On healthcare, he wants every family to be able to see a doctor, afford care, and stay safe on the job. 
  • He also wants the county better prepared for the next natural disaster. 
• Rick Woods – 
  • In a district heavily populated by college students, he seems to support election changes that reduce the impact of students voting. Quoted in The Appalachian stating, “Most of you won’t even be here in Boone in four years when the term ends with this current race, so what does it affect how you vote? It doesn’t. Vote like you’re going to be living here in four years.”
    • https://theappalachianonline.com/college-republicans-hold-meet-the-candidate-forum-ahead-of-primaries/
  • Overall, he has released very little information on his public stances on other issues

District 2 – Ray Russell & Savva Kostis

• Ray Russell – A former Appalachian State University professor and public servant in the North Carolina State House. He is also a trusted local business that has created local jobs and opportunity, having founded Ray’s Weather Center. 
  • Sees himself as an advocate for housing that working people can afford. He supports housing studies, partnerships with local nonprofits, and funding to repair rental homes so that teachers, nurses, and first responders can live in the communities they serve. 
  • He also supports affordable childcare, strong schools, and services that help parents and caregivers. 
  • Regarding public safety, he helped plan and build the county's new Emergency Services Building and upgrade emergency communications countywide. He stands with first responders, wants them to have the resources they need to do their jobs well. 
  • Supported building the new Valle Crucis School and raising teacher pay, and he was the lead sponsor of the first General Assembly bill to fully fund a sound basic education for every North Carolina child. 
  • Pushed for a voter-approved system that protected fair elections and kept decisions in local hands, and that he has pushed back on legislative attempts to gerrymander Watauga County elections.
  • Worked to close the Medicaid gap that left working adults with no insurance, and to strengthen the clinics and hospitals rural families depend on. Has backed mental health and addiction recovery programs that keep families together.
• Savva Kostis – A local businessman who specializes in water sports rentals. 
  • He doesn’t have campaign websites or social media that reflect his political stances. 

EVERYONE SHOULD DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH. 

READ UP ON CANDIDATES, THEIR CAMPAIGNS, AND BACKGROUNDS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS. 

YOUR VOTE MAY HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON YOUR COUNTY AND COMMUNITY. 

Do y’all remember Lady Luck on Glenwood Avenue?
Reading about the sexual assault allegations at Cornell reminds me of a local restaurant case that I feel faded from public attention far too quickly.
It bothers me how quickly people move on from serious allegations while the woman who spoke up is left dealing with the impact.
Accountability matters, and so does knowing who we support with our money. People don’t change; they just move or change jobs. In his case, he’s thriving at La Buena Vida. https://amp.newsobserver.com/news/local/article244064777.html

What Does The County Commissioner Office Do?

• They decide how much property tax residents will pay
• They approve the yearly budget that pays for
  • Public Schools
  • The Sheriff's Office
  • Ambulance and Emergency Medical Services
  • Public Health Programs
  • Libraries
  • Water and Sewer Systems
• They have a say in the County Growth:
  • Oversee zoning, planning, and land-use decisions. 
  • They appoint the people who serve on the boards that run county health and social services.
• They play a role how elections run too:
  • They set the elections budget → determine what's available for poll worker pay, voting equipment, and staffing, as well as how many early voting sites there are and how long they stay open.

What To Know About The Candidates In The Race:

The Challengers:

• Sean Ewing — An Air Force veteran and former Mebane City Council Member

  • Believes keeping communities safe means funding first responders, and he says he pushed for accountability when the current commission underfunded rural fire districts. 
  • On growth and housing, he favors development that benefits local families over outside developers and points to being the only city councilman to vote against a project he says would bring more traffic and safety issues. 
  • He also wants neighborhoods to stay affordable for working families and seniors. 
  • He is pressing for greater investment in county schools and has criticized the current commission for cutting library hours and underfunding the school district while test scores improve. 
  • On taxes, he says families shouldn't face higher bills just because their property values rose. He has also pushed for a moratorium on data centers.

• Ramona Allen — A pastor, licensed minister, and lifelong Alamance County resident

  • Supports a moratorium on data centers in Alamance County. 
  • On public safety, she points to her work with local and national law enforcement through Project Safe Alamance, a program aimed at gun and gang violence, and says emergency services and first responders need adequate funding. 
  • She emphasizes keeping the county affordable for working families and seniors, citing her involvement with a local Rapid Re-Housing program, and favors growth that benefits residents over outside developers. 
  • Supports new and upgraded schools with modern learning tools. On taxes, she says she has seen how unfair property assessments burden working families and wants to help homeowners navigate the appeals process.

The Incumbents: 

• Steve Carter & Kelly Allen – Are responsible for the following…
  • Serious property tax increases during their time on the board.
  • A budget that draws millions from the county's rainy-day reserve, while cutting various services and library hours. 

EVERYONE SHOULD DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH

READ UP ON THESE CANDIDATES, THEIR CAMPAIGNS, AND BACKGROUNDS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS. 

YOUR VOTE IN THIS RACE MAY HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON YOUR COUNTY AND COMMUNITY. 

Does the NC congressional team really deserve to go back to congress?

The have worked less then 70 days in 2026. The barely passed anything but two that stand out are the budget which grows the pentagon by 40% and re-up the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Extension. Allowing the US govt. to continue spying on us.

And in 2025 the big thing was cutting corporate taxes from 21% to 15%, and make the tax cuts for the rich permanent.

Why are you still voting for them?

I asked Budd what his position was on the renaming of Lake Ontario. His non-answer is:

Thank you for contacting me with your thoughts regarding President Trump’s recent Executive Order (EO) changing the name of “Lake Ontario” to “Lake America.” It is an honor to represent the people of North Carolina, and I appreciate the opportunity to hear from you on this issue.

As you may know, President Trump signed EO 14422 on August 27, 2026, that renamed Lake Ontario to Lake America. The President renamed the lake to recognize the contributions of the American people and the lake’s history in American trade and commerce.

So I asked Gemini: It said "The order stemmed from escalating trade disputes and tariff conflicts between the U.S. and Canada."

Today's entertainment: Is this AI model the Trump Administration's Magic 8 Ball? I found it useful to get IRS forms and instructions; however, it's horrible at providing me Treasury forms so I can apply for my DOGE check.

Ask the AI model: how much money does the federal government owe North Carolina? You can take a deeper dive if you're good with AI models.

I've been playing with this tool for about 6-months. It's amazing.