Julie Extine Painter (Jackson County Board of Commissioners District 1, North Carolina, candidate 2026)

Julie Extine Painter

Democratic Party

Candidate, Jackson County Board of Commissioners District 1

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 3, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

Western Carolina University, 2018

Graduate

Florida State University, 2022

Contact

Campaign Facebook

Julie Extine Painter (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Jackson County Board of Commissioners to represent District 1 in North Carolina. Painter was on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.^[source]

Painter completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Julie Extine Painter provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on January 27, 2026:

• High school: Cherokee Central School
• Bachelor's: Western Carolina University, 2018
• Graduate: Florida State University, 2022
• Profession: Small Business Owner / Educator
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign Facebook

Elections

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Jackson County Board of Commissioners District 1

John A. Herrera (D), Julie Extine Painter (D), German Vivas (D), and Casey Walawender (D) ran in the Democratic primary for Jackson County Board of Commissioners District 1 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	John A. Herrera
	Submit photo	Julie Extine Painter
	Submit photo	German Vivas
	Submit photo	Casey Walawender

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	Incumbency information for this race was not available.
= 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.

Republican primary

Republican primary for Jackson County Board of Commissioners District 1

Anthony K. Sequoyah (R) and Steven J. Sutton (R) ran in the Republican primary for Jackson County Board of Commissioners District 1 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Anthony K. Sequoyah
	Submit photo	Steven J. Sutton

---

	Incumbency information for this race was not available.
= 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.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Painter in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Julie Extine Painter completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Painter's responses.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am running for Jackson County Commissioner because I have spent my adult life serving this community, not as a politician, but as a small business owner who listens to people every day. My experience includes past service on the county Planning Board, and I currently serve on the board of directors for a local community development financial institution. There, I help expand small business access to capital and support responsible growth here in WNC. My educational foundation in entrepreneurship, economics, and business informs my belief in prioritizing schools, investing in initiatives that support working families, thoughtful infrastructure planning, and protecting shared community resources.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Owning and operating my salon has given me the privilege of spending decades in conversation with my neighbors. Each week, we talk about their concerns, their hopes for their families, and the challenges they face just trying to get by. That experience has shaped how I see our community and what I believe good public service should look like: showing up consistently, respecting people’s time and hard-earned money, and doing the work with integrity. Those are the same values that I have built my business upon, and they are the values I would bring to public office.
• As an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, I was raised with the teachings of my ancestors that emphasize resilience, care for the land, strong community ties, and responsibility to future generations. Those principles guide my campaign. I believe a strong Jackson County depends on investing in public schools, expanding affordable housing for working families, upgrading critical infrastructure, and protecting the shared resources that bind our communities together. These priorities reflect not just my values, but what our neighbors need to thrive, both today and for generations to come.
• I bring a background in running a business, and my workday is spent managing budgets, solving problems, and showing up consistently. Leadership doesn't have to be loud to be effective, but it should be reliable and respectful. My focus will be on on listening to the people of Jackson County and using that input to govern well.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Prioritizing the needs of our schools.

Supporting small businesses & working families.
Responsible infrastructure & water solutions.

Protecting community resources like our libraries.

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.

See also

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Candidate

Jackson County Board of Commissioners District 1

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