Gary Hartong
Gary Hartong (Republican Party) is running for election for an at-large seat of the Wake County Board of Commissioners in North Carolina. Hartong is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. The Republican primary for this office on March 3, 2026, was canceled.
Hartong completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Gary Hartong earned a high school diploma from Hoover High School, a bachelor's degree from North Carolina State University in 1998, and a graduate degree from North Carolina State University in 2009. Hartong's career experience includes working as a civil engineer.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Municipal elections in Wake County, North Carolina (2026)
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for Wake County Board of Commissioners At-Large (2 seats)
Christine Kushner (D), Mona Singh (D), Gary Hartong (R), and Kyle Stogoski (R) are running in the general election for Wake County Board of Commissioners At-Large on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Christine Kushner (D)  | |
 | Mona Singh (D) | |
 | Gary Hartong (R) | |
 | Kyle Stogoski (R) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary for Wake County Board of Commissioners At-Large (2 seats)
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Wake County Board of Commissioners At-Large on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Christine Kushner | 29.6 | 68,562 |
| ✔ | | Mona Singh | 21.9 | 50,604 |
 | Jonathan Lambert-Melton | 18.0 | 41,695 | |
 | Kimberly McGhee | 11.0 | 25,379 | |
| Steve Rao | 10.8 | 25,108 | ||
 | Robert Mitchener | 5.0 | 11,529 | |
 | Marguerite Creel | 3.7 | 8,635 | |
| Total votes: 231,512 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary
The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled. Gary Hartong (R) and Kyle Stogoski (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Wake County Board of Commissioners At-Large without appearing on the ballot.
Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Gary Hartong completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hartong's responses.
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Gary's National and State executive leadership experience includes serving on the Board of Directors for the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) and ACEC North Carolina, respectively. In both organizations, he was involved with legislative advocacy for long term infrastructure investment. Locally, Gary has served as Chair and Vice Chair of the Town of Wake Forest Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Advisory Board.
Gary is married with 4 daughters - 3 graduates and a student of Wake County Public Schools - and 2 energetic canines. Learn more about Gary Hartong at garyforwake.org.- Gary supports infrastructure investment. Working alongside its 12 municipalities, state agencies and developers, Wake County should ensure that its physical infrastructure—roads, water, sewer, parks, buildings, and broadband—is positioned to provide uninterrupted, high-quality service to its residents and businesses. Long-term capital planning must be strategic, data-driven, and forward-looking to keep pace with growth and evolving community needs. Reliable infrastructure is the backbone of thriving communities, supporting everything from daily mobility to public safety and economic development. By investing wisely and proactively, Wake County can strengthen quality of life and position itself for sustained success.
- Gary supports modern, safe schools. Wake County Public Schools is one of the top-performing public school systems in the nation, and the County dedicates nearly 50% of its $2 billion budget to operating more than 200 schools. To keep pace with a growing population, existing facilities should be modernized and optimized, while new schools must be designed with innovative approaches that reduce long-term operations and maintenance costs. The current backlog—$200 million in deferred HVAC maintenance and 70 school closings since 2023— undermines educational stability. Wake County must prioritize proactive investment to ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality learning environments for every educator and student.
- Gary supports a strong business climate. Supporting local businesses in Wake County strengthens the community by keeping dollars circulating close to home and reinforcing a stable, dynamic local economy. Small businesses create jobs, provide essential services, and contribute to a vibrant marketplace that reflects the County’s character. Their success often translates into improved public amenities, safer neighborhoods, and greater investment in shared community assets such as parks, schools, and infrastructure. In parallel, Wake County should work closely with the State and its municipal partners to continue building its corporate technology, life sciences and biotech, advanced manufacturing, education, and healthcare hubs.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Hartong's campaign website stated the following:
Gary's Focus
Gary believes that Wake County will continue to be a vibrant, thriving community based on the foundations of robust infrastructure, modern schools, strong business environment, and fiscal conservancy.
Innovative Infrastructure
Working alongside its 12 municipalities, state agencies and developers, Wake County should ensure that its physical infrastructure—roads, water, sewer, parks, buildings, and broadband—is positioned to provide uninterrupted, high-quality services for its residents and businesses. Long-term capital planning must be strategic, data-driven, and forward-looking to keep pace with growth and evolving community needs. Reliable infrastructure is the backbone of thriving communities, supporting everything from daily mobility to public safety and economic development. By investing wisely and proactively, Wake County can strengthen quality of life and position itself for sustained success.
Modern, Safe Schools
Wake County Public Schools is one of the top-performing public school systems in the nation, and the County dedicates nearly 50% of its $2 billion budget to operating more than 200 schools. To keep pace with a growing population, existing facilities should be modernized and optimized, while new schools must be designed with innovative approaches that reduce long-term operations and maintenance costs. The current backlog—$200 million in deferred HVAC maintenance and 70 school closings since 2023— undermines educational stability. Wake County must prioritize proactive investment to ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality learning environments for every educator and student.
Strong Business Climate
Supporting local businesses in Wake County strengthens the community by keeping dollars circulating close to home and reinforcing a stable, dynamic local economy. Small businesses create jobs, provide essential services, and contribute to a vibrant marketplace that reflects the County’s character. Their success often translates into improved public amenities, safer neighborhoods, and greater investment in shared community assets such as parks, schools, and infrastructure. Wake County should also work closely with the State and its municipal partners to continue building its corporate technology, life sciences and biotech, advanced manufacturing, education, and healthcare hubs.
Fiscal Conservancy
Wake County taxpayers deserve a government that lives within its means, prioritizes core services, and treats every community fairly. Recent financial decisions raise serious questions about whether current tax levels are still justified.
- Excessive Property Tax Collections: In Fiscal Year 2025, Wake County collected $77 million more in property taxes than planned, signaling that taxpayers are being overcharged while families continue to face rising costs of living.
- Overfunded Reserves: The County is maintaining a 30% fund balance reserve, which is double the recommended minimum, on a $2 billion annual budget. While responsible savings are important, stockpiling taxpayer dollars beyond reasonable levels should trigger a reassessment of tax rates—not expanded spending. Another $500 million remains in an untouched infrastructure reserve fund.
- Inequitable Hospitality Taxes: The 1% prepared food and beverage tax and 6% lodging tax, totaling $90 million annually, impact every restaurant and hospitality business across Wake County. Yet half of these funds subsidize the Raleigh Convention Center, with the remainder distributed through a competitive grant process—leaving many communities and small business owners with little to no return on their investment.
- Questionable Giveaways: In November 2025, $7 million in county tax dollars were awarded to 16 non-profit organizations, raising concerns about accountability, transparency, and whether these funds address essential county responsibilities.
- Speculative Housing Spending: The County committed $5 million to a Housing Opportunity Fund in October 2025 focused on select areas of Wake County—without private-sector or philanthropic matching partners—placing the full financial risk on taxpayers.
Wake County should re-examine its revenue sources, lower the tax burden where possible, and refocus spending on core services that benefit all residents. Fiscal discipline, conservancy, and taxpayer fairness must come first.
— Gary Hartong's campaign website (March 11, 2026)
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 12, 2026
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