2026 North Carolina General Election

MPH, Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

Meet Amita | Amita Gupta for Wake County School Board

BS (Premed), Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin

BSc (Hons), Life Sciences & Biochemestry, St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, India

She is dedicated member of her local community in Cary, where she lives with her husband and two children. Amita also serves on several other boards that includes her local HOA Board, Amberly Women’s Club, and South Asian Society for Amberly.

Amita Gupta for Wake County School Board

Amita Gupta earned a Bachelor of Science with honors in life sciences and biochemistry from St. Xavier's College in Mumbai, India, a Bachelor of Science in molecular biology from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Master of Public Health in epidemiology from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. She lives in Cary with her husband and two children.

With a background in education, healthcare, and community organizing, Amita has championed efforts to grow parent and community engagement across the district — and put her own entrepreneurial energy behind expanding what "opportunity" looks like at every age. She is a partner in Wize Computing Academy of Cary, Apex, and Morrisville, personally teaching after-school STEAM and computing education programs to K–5 students directly in Wake County schools. She also partners in the educational branch of Astute Resources, bringing experiential life-skills training to the workforce of clients that include UNC Chapel Hill and corporate partners.

She is a partner in Wize Computing Academy of Cary, Apex, and Morrisville, personally teaching after-school STEAM and computing education programs to K–5 students directly in Wake County schools. She also partners in the educational branch of Astute Resources, bringing experiential life-skills training to the workforce of clients that include UNC Chapel Hill and corporate partners.

Education

During her graduate studies, Amita also taught Chemistry 101 to undergraduates and a graduate-level Public Health course.

Amita is a partner in Wize Computing Academy of Cary, Apex, and Morrisville, where she teaches after-school science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics, and computing programs to K–5 students in Wake County schools. She is also a partner in the educational branch of Astute Resources. During her graduate studies, she taught Chemistry 101 to undergraduates and a graduate-level public health course.

Amita Gupta - Ballotpedia

Amita is a first-time candidate for political office.

Expand Wellness and Mental Health Support for All

Increasing access to nutritional sources and counselors to ensure every school has the resources students need.

Our Platform | Amita Gupta for Wake County School Board

Supports increasing students' access to nutritious food and counselors.

- Supports increasing students' access to nutritious food and counselors.

School Facilities & Resources

Provide Equitable Opportunities

Ensuring every student has access to a high-quality education, regardless of their ZIP code, background, or learning needs.

Supports ensuring students have access to high-quality education regardless of ZIP code, background, or learning needs.

- Supports ensuring students have access to high-quality education regardless of ZIP code, background, or learning needs.

Access to Education

Support and Retain Our Teachers

Advocating for competitive salaries, meaningful professional development, and providing classroom resources required to help students succeed.

Advocates for competitive teacher salaries, professional development, and classroom resources.

- Advocates for competitive teacher salaries, professional development, and classroom resources.

Teachers

Prepare Students for the Future

Investing in STEAM education, digital literacy, and career and technical education programs that connect learning to tomorrow's workforce.

Academic and Extracurricular Growth Opportunity

Combining academic and extracurricular activities that paves the way to essential life skills, critical thinking and problem-solving.

Supports investment in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics education, digital literacy, and career and technical education programs.

Supports combining academic and extracurricular activities to develop life skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

- Supports investment in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics education, digital literacy, and career and technical education programs.
- Supports combining academic and extracurricular activities to develop life skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

School Curriculum

Ensure Safe and Welcoming Schools

Elevating strong student safety measures, bullying prevention, and school cultures where every student feels valued, respected, and secure.

Supports stronger student-safety measures, bullying prevention, and school cultures where students feel valued, respected, and secure.

- Supports stronger student-safety measures, bullying prevention, and school cultures where students feel valued, respected, and secure.

Student Wellbeing

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Amita Gupta

Isaac Brickman

Walter Ley

WORK & MILITARY

United States Navy, Sonar Technician 3rd Class, 1998-2002

Voter Guide Profile for NC Wake County Board of Education, District 7 candidate - Jacob Arthur

Jacob served as a Sonar Technician 3rd Class in the U.S. Navy for four years.

Jacob Arthur - iVoterGuide

This belief inspired me to create The Wake Framework—a practical approach to school governance grounded in a simple principle: every significant new discretionary investment should be connected to measurable improvements in student outcomes, coupled with transparent public reporting and a focus on continuous improvement.

The Wake Framework: Enhancing Educational Governance in Wake Schools

Special Education services should never be on the chopping block, especially when considering the impact on student outcomes in Wake County public schools, as these are crucial for effective educational governance.

Opposes giving up local control of education in exchange for federal funding.

Calls for significant discretionary school investments to be tied to measurable student outcomes, transparent public reporting, and continuous improvement.

Opposes cutting special education services.

- Calls for significant discretionary school investments to be tied to measurable student outcomes, transparent public reporting, and continuous improvement.
- Opposes cutting special education services.

Supports parents choosing the educational options they consider best for their children and says parents, teachers, and school boards should partner in public education.

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

Opposes school officials using alternative names or pronouns as part of a student's sexual transition.

Supports civics education emphasizing the nation's founding principles of liberty and equality.

Requires written parental permission before students receive comprehensive sex education or social-emotional learning instruction.

Opposes teaching curricula that emphasize slavery and racism as the foundations of American history.

Says parents, rather than public schools, are responsible for deciding when to teach their children sexual education.

Requires written parental consent before children receive a health care diagnosis or treatment, including mental health or reproductive health care.

Opposes new school vaccination requirements, describing vaccination decisions as matters for individuals, parents, and doctors.

Opposes allowing public high school students to compete in athletics based on gender identity rather than biological sex.

Jacob Arthur

- Opposes cutting special education services.

Help Power Maddie’s Campaign for Strong Public Schools in Wake County

I’m a mom to two kids in the public school system and someone who believes our public schools are worth fighting for. Beyond my personal ties, I believe public schools are the foundation of a thriving community, giving every child the chance to succeed.

Help Power Maddie's Campaign for Strong Public Schools in Wake County

Maddie Segal is a mother of two children in the public school system.

Maddie Segal — Donate via ActBlue

That experience sparked a lifelong commitment to grassroots advocacy and protecting our most vulnerable communities. For the past six years, I have taken that fight to the national stage, working in federal nutrition policy to protect food access for millions.

Meet Maddie

Maddie Segal works in federal nutrition policy.

Students cannot learn if they are hungry, and ensuring every child has access to healthy food is a fundamental prerequisite for academic success. At a time when grocery prices are rising and household budgets are stretched incredibly thin, our families simply cannot afford another increase in school meal prices. I will champion policies that prioritize student health and eliminate lunch debt stigma by working toward universal free school meals. Because of my background, I also have concrete ideas to pilot right away that could streamline our school meal programs.

Campaign Priorities

Technology is a powerful tool when it enhances active learning and connects students to the world. I advocate for a balanced, evidence-based approach to technology in our classrooms. This means prioritizing hands-on, tactile learning (including physical books and writing) especially in the early grades where cognitive and motor development are critical. As a school board, we must also exercise strict fiscal responsibility by auditing our software spending to ensure we are investing in high-quality, proven interactive tools rather than low-value subscriptions that drain resources.

Wake County’s public schools are one of our community’s greatest cultural and economic strengths. I am committed to fighting for adequate, reliable funding so that every single public school student has access to an excellent education. I plan to leverage my advocacy background to partner with rural counties, which are the hardest hit by state-level underfunding.

Wake County’s public schools are one of our community’s greatest cultural and economic strengths. I am committed to fighting for adequate, reliable funding so that every single public school student has access to an excellent education. I plan to leverage my advocacy background to partner with rural counties, which are the hardest hit by state-level underfunding. Together, we can build a unified, statewide voice to advocate effectively at both the state and federal levels for the robust public school funding our children deserve.

Plans to work toward universal free school meals to prioritize student health and eliminate lunch-debt stigma.

Calls for auditing school software spending to prioritize proven interactive tools over low-value subscriptions.

Is committed to advocating for adequate, reliable public-school funding.

Plans to partner with rural counties to advocate for public-school funding at the state and federal levels.

- Plans to work toward universal free school meals to prioritize student health and eliminate lunch-debt stigma.
- Calls for auditing school software spending to prioritize proven interactive tools over low-value subscriptions.
- Is committed to advocating for adequate, reliable public-school funding.
- Plans to partner with rural counties to advocate for public-school funding at the state and federal levels.

True academic success and proactive school safety, including the prevention of gun violence, start with a nurturing, well-staffed environment. This means having full-time, dedicated mental health professionals on-site every day (not just one day a week) to support students in crisis. It means ensuring we have the support staff necessary to fully implement detailed IEPs for the kids who need them, while also keeping our AIG staff supported so advanced learners continue to thrive.

Supports staffing needed to implement individualized education programs and support academically gifted students.

- Supports staffing needed to implement individualized education programs and support academically gifted students.

Our public schools are only as strong as the educators in them, and we must treat our teachers like the highly skilled professionals they are. This starts by slashing redundant administrative burdens so teachers can focus on what they do best: teaching. We must actively fight for the competitive compensation, resources, and structural respect our educators deserve so we can recruit and retain the absolute best talent for our classrooms.

Calls for reducing administrative burdens so teachers can focus on teaching.

Advocates for competitive teacher compensation, resources, and respect to recruit and retain educators.

- Calls for reducing administrative burdens so teachers can focus on teaching.
- Advocates for competitive teacher compensation, resources, and respect to recruit and retain educators.

Technology is a powerful tool when it enhances active learning and connects students to the world. I advocate for a balanced, evidence-based approach to technology in our classrooms. This means prioritizing hands-on, tactile learning (including physical books and writing) especially in the early grades where cognitive and motor development are critical.

As a school board, we must also exercise strict fiscal responsibility by auditing our software spending to ensure we are investing in high-quality, proven interactive tools rather than low-value subscriptions that drain resources. By establishing clear frameworks for emerging tools like AI, we can ensure technology is used to empower educators and prepare our students for a digital future without sacrificing the human elements of education.

Advocates for an evidence-based approach to classroom technology that prioritizes hands-on learning, physical books, and writing in early grades.

Supports clear frameworks for artificial intelligence tools in schools to support educators and prepare students for a digital future.

- Advocates for an evidence-based approach to classroom technology that prioritizes hands-on learning, physical books, and writing in early grades.
- Supports clear frameworks for artificial intelligence tools in schools to support educators and prepare students for a digital future.

Supports full-time, on-site mental health professionals for students in crisis.

- Supports full-time, on-site mental health professionals for students in crisis.

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Maddie Segal

- 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

Wake County Board of Education Member, District 7

Candidates (3)

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School Facilities & Resources

Access to Education

Teachers

School Curriculum

Student Wellbeing