2026 North Carolina General Election

Chad Cole is from Boone, North Carolina. He graduated from Watauga High School.

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Chad Cole is from Vilas. He has an associate's degree in biblical studies from Andersonville Theological Seminary. He lives with his wife, Maria, and their children.

Chad has worked in emergency services for more than two decades. He also has experience in organizational leadership, managing teams, coordinating operations, and overseeing multimillion-dollar budgets in both nonprofit and private-sector roles. 

Chad currently works as a travel operations specialist for Mercy Ships, the owner of Trinity Transport, and the pastor at Chestnut Dale Baptist Church. He previously worked as a firefighter and an emergency medical services technician.

11/08/2022 OFFICIAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS - WATAUGA

2024 Watauga County Unofficial General Election Results | Local ...

Chad previously ran for Watauga County Board of Education in 2024 and 2022, but did not win.

For Candidate Chad Cole on Issue school-services-resources: Advocates for data-driven decisions regarding staffing, facilities, and programs to ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars while maintaining educational quality and student services.

Advocates for data-driven decisions regarding staffing, facilities, and programs to ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars while maintaining educational quality and student services.

- Advocates for data-driven decisions regarding staffing, facilities, and programs to ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars while maintaining educational quality and student services.

School Facilities & Resources

Opposes the use of school vouchers, believing they are unnecessary for education access.

Opposes school vouchers and other programs that allow qualifying families to use public money for alternative schooling options, including private schools

- Opposes school vouchers and other programs that allow qualifying families to use public money for alternative schooling options, including private schools

Access to Education

For Candidate Chad Cole on Issue teachers: Supports prioritizing teacher support, competitive compensation, and policies that respect classroom realities to retain quality teachers and staff.

Supports prioritizing teacher support, competitive compensation, and policies that respect classroom realities to retain quality teachers and staff.

- Supports prioritizing teacher support, competitive compensation, and policies that respect classroom realities to retain quality teachers and staff.

Teachers

For Candidate Chad Cole on Issue school-curriculum: Supports strengthening career and technical education and workforce pathways, and partnerships with local businesses and community colleges to provide students with practical options and long-term value in public schools.

Supports strengthening career and technical education and workforce pathways, and partnerships with local businesses and community colleges to provide students with practical options and long-term value in public schools.

- Supports strengthening career and technical education and workforce pathways, and partnerships with local businesses and community colleges to provide students with practical options and long-term value in public schools.

School Curriculum

Believes that safety issues in schools stem from outside the school and supports the presence of student resource officers for safety-related programs.

- Believes that safety issues in schools stem from outside the school and supports the presence of student resource officers for safety-related programs.

Student Wellbeing

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Chad Cole

Walter Ley

Megan Kornhauser is a resident of Watauga County.

Primary ballot set with contested local races - Watauga Democrat

Megan's campaign for county board of education in Watauga County is her first run for public office.

As of April 6, 2026, Megan (Chayyim) Kornhauser did not have a website or any information online.

Opposes book bans and attempts to "erase uncomfortable truths in history".

Opposes "Christian hegemony" in schools, specifically speaking out against mandates to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms.

- Opposes book bans and attempts to "erase uncomfortable truths in history".
- Opposes "Christian hegemony" in schools, specifically speaking out against mandates to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms.

Megan (Chayyim) Kornhauser

Buket Urgen

- 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

Watauga County Board of Education Member, District 4

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School Facilities & Resources

Access to Education

Teachers

School Curriculum

Student Wellbeing