2026 North Carolina General Election

Meet the Board - Hoke County Schools

Angela Southerland currently serves on the Hoke County Board of Education.

Ms. Angela Southerland, Chair of the Hoke County School Board asked the Board to reconsider funding a new bus garage. She supports the idea of constructing it in phases and she also supports a building that would be shared by the school system and the County.

June 7-8, 2023 Hoke County Board of Commissioners FY 2024 Budget Workshops

As school board chair, called for reconsidering funding for a bus garage to be built in phases and shared by the school system and county.

- As school board chair, called for reconsidering funding for a bus garage to be built in phases and shared by the school system and county.

School Facilities & Resources

As of September 2, 2026, Angela Southerland did not have a website or any information online.

Access to Education

Teachers

School Curriculum

Student Wellbeing

Angela Southerland

As of September 2, 2026, Angela Southerland’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Isaac Brickman

Buket Urgen

Facebook

Catherine Blue has experience as a pastor.

Five candidates ran for three of the seven seats on the Randolph County school board. The only incumbent running, Fred Burgess, won reelection by coming in third of the top three vote-getters. Shannon Craven Whitaker took in the most votes followed by Phillip Lanier. All three are registered Republicans.
Angela Southerland and Catherine Blue, both registered Democrats along with Ruben Castellon, a registered Republican, were elected to the Hoke County School Board which was also a non-partisan race. Only one incumbent was in the running, Democrat Della Maynor who came in 6th out of the field of ten.

Republican candidates sweep nearly half of NC school board races — The North State Journal

Rosa McAllister-McRae
Board Member
rmcallister@hcs.k12.nc.us
Catherine Blue
Board Member
cblue@hcs.k12.nc.us
Hoke County Schools
310 Wooley St.
Raeford NC 28376
(910) 875-4106
F: (910) 875-3362

Meet the Board

Catherine Blue was elected to the Hoke County School Board and serves as a board member.

As of September 2, 2026, Catherine Blue did not have a website or any information online.

Catherine Blue

As of September 2, 2026, Catherine Blue’s website did not contain information on this issue.

James Leach - The News-Journal

Christopher A. Leach has bachelor’s degree in social science and a master’s degree in public administration. 

Christopher is a U.S. Air Force veteran with over 10 years of service.

Advocates for increased funding for Hoke County schools.

As of September 2, 2026, Christopher A. Leach did not have a website or any information online.

Christopher A. Leach

As of September 2, 2026, Christopher A. Leach’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Application for Rezoning Permit RZ-22-3 identifies Darrin McNeill as the applicant. In the staff comments, the document states: “• The applicant had previously been approved for Highway Commercial (HC) zoning on parcels adjacent to Laurinburg Road. • The applicant operates adult care facilities and currently has four (4) locations in the existing commercially zoned properties. • In addition to the applicant’s commercial properties the subject parcel is close to a highway and other commercially zoned properties. • The applicant has stated the adult care home “complex” has been beneficial to his business and the well-being of his clients and wants to continue to grow the operation.”

Application for Rezoning Permit RZ-22-3 (MetaViewer PDF)

Darrin L. McNeill operates adult care facilities at four locations.

Darrin L. McNeill has operated adult care facilities at four locations.

As of September 2, 2026, Darrin L. McNeill did not have a website or any information online.

Darrin L. McNeill

As of September 2, 2026, Darrin L. McNeill’s website did not contain information on this issue.

“He’s a well-respected coach in this area,” Hoke athletic director Gary Brigman said Saturday. “Football, wrestling — anything he’s done, he’s always done it right.”

Hoke County wrestling: Vernon Walworth, coach, dies

Hoke County TD club receives $100,000 donation

As of September 2, 2026, Gary Brigman did not have a website or any information online.

Gary Brigman

As of September 2, 2026, Gary Brigman’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Mauricio Mendez

LinkedIn

George Small earned a bachelor's degree in recreation administration from the North Carolina Argicultural and Technical State University.

A former player for the New York Giants, Small has a had a long, successful coaching career, which included stints as the head coach at NC A&T State University and Kentucky State University. A&T won a MEAC championship under Small.

Hoke County plans to replace head football coach Dr. George Small

George Small previously played for the New York Giants and served as a head football coach at North Carolina A&T State University and Kentucky State University.

George Small previously professional football played for the New York Giants and served as a head football coach at North Carolina A&T State University and Kentucky State University.

George Small (Hoke County Board of Education, North Carolina ...

George is a first-time candidate for political office.

“I’ve been all over the country and visited a lot of schools in my recruiting travels and always noticed that some schools were up, and some schools that were down,” said Small, who led the Bucks to their first winning record since 2012 in his second season.

“I have observed schools in our own conference like Pinecrest, Richmond and Scotland County that have mechanisms in place to help with funding and brand awareness, and we want our kids to have those same opportunities. These programs that were trending up all had these same mechanisms in place and in Hoke County we do not have the same level of support. But that’s about to change.”

Hoke County TD Club receives $100,000 donation

Advocates for funding and support that give Hoke County students opportunities comparable to nearby districts.

- Advocates for funding and support that give Hoke County students opportunities comparable to nearby districts.

As of September 2, 2026, George Small did not have a website or any information online.

George Small

As of September 2, 2026, George Small’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Gwendolyn Robinson studied at Sandhills Community College.

As of September 2, 2026, Gwendolyn Robinson did not have a website or any information online.

Gwendolyn Robinson

As of September 2, 2026, Gwendolyn Robinson’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Twitter

TikTok

John is a retired sports official (soccer) and his wife Monika and family reside in Hoke County since 1993.

John F. Harry Hoke County Board of Education

John F. Harry (Hoke County Board of Education, North Carolina ...

John served in the active and reserve branch of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army retiring as a Master Sergant.
Retirement as a Federal Civil Servant at the middle management level General Service 11.

John F. Harry is a retired soccer official and federal civil servant who worked at the federal General Schedule 11 middle-management level. He served in the active and reserve branches of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army, retiring as a Master Sergeant.

John is a retired soccer official and federal civil servant. He served in the active and reserve branches of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army, retiring as a Master Sergeant.

11/05/2024 official general election results - hoke

John previously lost the 2024 race for the Hoke County Board of Education.

As of September 2, 2026, John F. Harry did not have a website or any information online.

Plans to restore transparency for the community in Hoke County schools.

Plans to curtail what he calls a “bias political Elitist Educators' social agenda” in Hoke County schools.

Opposes removing God from classrooms and teaching elementary students a curriculum he describes as including “Taste of semen and sexual self-gratifications.”

John F. Harry

As of September 2, 2026, John F. Harry’s website did not contain information on this issue.

- Opposes removing God from classrooms and teaching elementary students a curriculum he describes as including “Taste of semen and sexual self-gratifications.”

According to a candidate profile, Gill is the daughter of Robert and Gladys Bronson. She is a Hoke High graduate of the Class of 1988. She earned degrees from North Carolina A&T State University, Bellevue University and Webster University. She was first elected to the school board in 2020. She earned the second-highest number of votes in that race. Gill is currently serving the fourth year of her four-year term.

Six candidates in the running for Hoke Board of Education – The News-Journal

Keisha Bronson Gill earned degrees from North Carolina A&T State University, Bellevue University and Webster University.

Keisha Gill - The News-Journal

Keisha has experience as an investigator.

Keisha was first elected to the Hoke County Board of Education in 2020 and served a four-year term.

Seconded a motion requesting a new auditor for the school board.

As of September 2, 2026, Keisha Bronson Gill did not have a website or any information online.

Keisha Bronson Gill

As of September 2, 2026, Keisha Bronson Gill’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Two seats on the Board of Education are up for election this year. Incumbents Hank Richards, the current chairman, and Rosa McAllister-McRae filed to run to retain their seats. Roosevelt McPherson, a veteran and retired public school teacher and associate principal, filed to challenge for one of the seats. McPherson ran for the board in 2010 and lost to incumbents Barbara Buie, Della Maynor and Irish Pickett.

6A THE NEWS-JOURNAL Raeford, N.C. July 18, 2012

Roosevelt McPherson is a veteran and retired public school teacher and associate principal.

Roosevelt McPherson is a veteran, and a retired public school teacher and associate principal.

Roosevelt previously ran for the Hoke County Board of Education in 2010 but did not win.

As of September 2, 2026, Roosevelt McPherson did not have a website or any information online.

Roosevelt McPherson

As of September 2, 2026, Roosevelt McPherson’s website did not contain information on this issue.

- The Board of Education runs the public school system. They create policies that establish standards, accountability and evaluation of essential operations of the school system.
- The Board of Education member hires a superintendent and can remove them when necessary. The superintendent assists the Board of Education in implementing the board’s policies. 
- The Board of Education is charged with deciding the school budget. This means they decide how to allocate money between different services, such as teacher pay, repairing school facilities, or access to technology.
- Board of Education members are elected every four years. 

Member of the board that governs your county's public school system

Hoke County Board of Education Member

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School Facilities & Resources

Access to Education

Teachers

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Student Wellbeing

Hoke County Board of Education Member

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School Facilities & Resources

Access to Education

Teachers

School Curriculum

Student Wellbeing

Candidates (10)
Choose 3