Murphy – Noon Friday was the deadline to file for the March 3, 2026, primary elections, which turn out to be crowded fields in almost all local offices.
Uncontested primary races
Starting off with the least complicated contests first are the seats with no challenges in the primaries or the general election in November 2026:
- Republican County Commissioner Mark Stiles, a businessman appointed to fill the vacant District 2 (Peachtree to Marble) seat in December 2024. This is his first time running in an election for the seat he has held for the past year.
- Incumbent Republican Register of Deeds Karen Wright.
- Republican Clerk of Superior Court Amanda Anderson Carroll, who was appointed to replace Roger Gibson when he retired earlier this year.
Some competition
The next less-complicated contests are for seats on the school board.
In District 1 (Murphy), incumbent Cherokee County Board of Education member Jeannie Gaddis, a retired school teacher, will face David Ricks, a county building inspector, in the Republican primary.
In District 3 (Hiwassee Dam), two seats are on the ballot. Both incumbents, Shannon Raper (who has worked for Cherokee County Schools and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office in the past) and Jason Murphy (a Murphy police detective), are running in the Republican primary and face a third candidate, Gary Butler.
Democrat Joy Stein, a former business owner, is running unopposed in the Democratic Party primary, She will face the top-two candidates from the Republican primary in November.
Contested primary races
For the school board’s at-large seat, left undefended when Steve Coleman filed to run for county commissioners, two candidates have filed for the Republican primary: Andrews restaurant owner Stephen Dartez and Randy Phillips, a retired school resources officer and former Cherokee County commissioner.
Hotly contested primary races
From here on, things get more complicated.
Three people are running for sheriff in the Republican primary – incumbent Sheriff Dustin Smith, retired N.C. Highway Patrol trooper Chris Wood, and Army veteran and a self-described “jack of all trades” Samuel May. The winner of the sheriff primary will go on to run unopposed in the November general election.
Three people are running for the board of commissioners District 3 (Murphy to Brasstown) seat being vacated by Ben Adams. Two candidates will face off in the Republican primary – school board member Steve Coleman (whose term on the school board ends in December 2026) and real estate broker Mark Stalcup.
In the Democratic Party primary for District 3 commissioner, Judith Bodley is running unopposed. Bodley is a retired registered dietician who is active with the Cherokee & Clay County Food Alliance. She will face the winner of the Republican primary in the November general election.
The most complicated races will be for board of commissioners seats representing District 1 (Andrews to Topton) and District 4 (Hothouse, Culberson, Ranger and Bellview).
In District 1, incumbent Cal Stiles faces Steve Jordan and Jeana Conley in the Republican primary. Stiles is an Andrews business and real estate owner. Jordan is an Andrews business owner who served multiple terms on the Andrews Board of Aldermen and one term as county commissioner. Conley is a retired Cherokee County schools superintendent.
The winner of the Republican primary will face Rex Cable, an Andrews High School coach and teacher, who is running unopposed in the Democratic Party primary.
For District 4, four people are running in the Republican primary:
- Dr. Dan Eichenbaum, MD (an ophthalmologist), the incumbent.
- Tom O’Leske, an accountant, Army Reserve veteran and former Florida detention center officer.
- Sue Lynn Ledford, a registered nurse and executive director for Four Square Community Action Inc., an organization that provides advocacy, services, and resources to increase self-sufficiency for low-income individuals and families in Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Swain counties.
- Barry Killian, who has had a long career in retail management with Walmart and Dollar General.