Government of Forsyth County, North Carolina
| Seat: Winston-Salem |
| Population (2020): 382,590 |
| County Commissioners: 7 |
| County Website: Official website |
The county government of Forsyth County is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It covers 413 square miles. The county was created in 1849 and was named after Benjamin Forsyth, a colonel during the War of 1812.[1]
Elections
2024
Forsyth County, North Carolina, held general elections for register of deeds, board of commissioners, soil and water conservation district, districts court judges, and superior court judges on November 5, 2024. A primary was scheduled for March 5, 2024. The filing deadline for the primary was December 15, 2023, and the filing deadline for the soil and water conservation district was July 5, 2024.
2022
Forsyth County, North Carolina, held general elections for district attorney, sheriff, county commissioners, soil and water district board, clerk of superior court, district court judges, and superior court judge on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for May 17, 2022. The filing deadline for this election was March 4, 2022.
2020
Forsyth County, North Carolina, held general elections for county commissioner (3 seats), clerk of superior court, county register of deeds, judicial offices, soil and water conservation district supervisor on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for March 3, 2020. The filing deadline for partisan candidates running in this election was December 20, 2019. The filing deadline for candidates running to represent the soil and water conservation district was July 3, 2020, and the filing deadline for independent and unaffiliated candidates was July 6, 2020.
2018
Forsyth County, North Carolina, held general elections for county commissioner, clerk of superior court, county sheriff, district attorney, and soil & water conservation district supervisor on November 6, 2018. If a race had multiple candidates for a party nomination, a primary was held on May 8, 2018.
Elected officials
| If any officeholder information below is no longer accurate, please contact us with any updates. |
County commissioners
- See also: County commission
The county commission functions as the county's primary legislative and policy-making body. Most boards also control county land usage, oversee environmental issues and possess executive powers, meaning they have the authority to appoint or remove departmental heads. Forsyth County has seven commissioners, one of which is elected at large. Six are elected from one of the two districts: two from District A and four from District B. Commissioners are elected to four-year terms.[2]
The table below provides information on each of the county commissioners:
| Office | Name | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|
| Forsyth County Board of Commissioners At-Large | Dan Besse | December 5, 2022 |
| Forsyth County Board of Commissioners District A | Tonya McDaniel | December 3, 2018 |
| Forsyth County Board of Commissioners District A | Malishai Woodbury | December 5, 2022 |
| Forsyth County Board of Commissioners District B | Richard Linville | 1980 |
| Forsyth County Board of Commissioners District B | Don Martin | 2014 |
| Forsyth County Board of Commissioners District B | Gloria Whisenhunt | 1998 |
| Forsyth County Board of Commissioners District B | Gray Wilson | July 18, 2024 |
The widget below automatically displays information about their meetings. The topic list contains a sampling of keywords that Voterheads, a local government monitoring service, found in each meeting agenda. Click the meeting link to see more info and the full agenda:
Other elected officials
Forsyth County residents also elect the following public officials:
| Office | Name | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|
| Forsyth County Clerk of the Superior Court | Denise Hines | December 7, 2020 |
| Forsyth County Register of Deeds | Lynne Johnson | 2016 |
| Forsyth County Sheriff | Bobby Kimbrough | 2018 |
Special districts
Forsyth Soil & Water Conservation District
The Forsyth Soil & Water Conservation District is composed of a five-member board of supervisors. Three members are elected and two members are appointed. According to the district's website, "the District’s responsibility is to plan, coordinate and carry out a conservation program within its legal boundaries."[3]
The table below provides information on the three elected members of the board:
| Office | Name | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|
| Forsyth County Soil and Water Conservation District | Mark Apple | December 5, 2022 |
| Forsyth County Soil and Water Conservation District | Toby Bost | 2006 |
| Forsyth County Soil and Water Conservation District | Edward Jones | December 2, 2024 |
| Forsyth County Soil and Water Conservation District | Jordan Jones | 2019 |
| Forsyth County Soil and Water Conservation District | Wes Schollander | 2014 |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Forsyth County North Carolina. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Forsyth County, North Carolina | North Carolina | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
External links
Footnotes