Pat Bradford (New Hanover County Board of Education, North Carolina, candidate 2026)

Pat Bradford

Republican Party

Candidate, New Hanover County Board of Education

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 3, 2026

Personal

Profession

Business owner and president

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Pat Bradford (Republican Party) ran for election to the New Hanover County Board of Education in North Carolina. Bradford was on the ballot in the Republican primary on March 3, 2026.^[source]

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

Biography

Pat Bradford provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on January 28, 2026:

• High school: Duncan U Fletcher
• Bachelor's: Applachian State University BA Communication Arts, BS Communication Arts, Teaching, 1980
• Profession: Business Owner and President
• Incumbent officeholder: Yes
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook
• LinkedIn

Elections

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for New Hanover County Board of Education (4 seats)

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for New Hanover County Board of Education on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Nelson Beaulieu
	Submit photo	Wendy Dale
	Submit photo	Margie Gewirtzman
	Submit photo	Jerry Jones Jr.
		Brittnei LaRue
	Submit photo	Rick Southerland

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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 New Hanover County Board of Education (4 seats)

Josie Barnhart (R), Pat Bradford (R), Amy Dunning (R), Melissa Mason (R), and Chris Sutton (R) ran in the Republican primary for New Hanover County Board of Education on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Josie Barnhart
	Submit photo	Pat Bradford
	Submit photo	Amy Dunning
	Submit photo	Melissa Mason
		Chris 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 Bradford in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Pat Bradford completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bradford's responses.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My relationship with Jesus is the most important part of my life, and everything I do flows from that. I believe leadership starts with integrity and courage. And for me, it has always been about the children. I am a mother, a grandmother, a former educator, a business owner, and a lifelong advocate for children. I have spent decades leading real organizations, hiring staff, managing budgets, and being accountable for Outcomes. I have also served as a Guardian ad Litem, standing up for children who had no one else to speak for them. That experience shaped how seriously I take every decision. Today, serving on the School Board means overseeing a $380M public institution, with nearly twenty five thousand students and thousands of employees. That is a serious responsibility. And it requires real experience, sound judgment, and a steady hand. That is why I serve. And that is why I put children first.

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?

• New Hanover County Schools face several urgent challenges: These include increasing revenue for positions, while decreasing overhead, improving academic outcomes, chromic absenteeism, maintaining safe and civil learning environments, rebuilding trust with funding sources, parents and taxpayers, and addressing years of deferred maintenance and poor long-term planning. Employees are stretched thin, while reading, math, and science proficiency must continue to improve. These issues require steady leadership, transparency, and a clear focus on doing what is right for kids.
• My goal is simple: increasing revenue and positions, while decreasing overhead, strong academics, safe schools, and public trust. That means continuing to raise reading, math, and science outcomes, maintaining clear discipline standards so learning can happen, and ensuring parents are respected and informed. I also want to protect fiscal responsibility, plan responsibly for facilities, and keep the district focused on results rather than distractions or politics.
• I bring proven experience, steady leadership, and a track record of results. During my first term, academic performance improved, governance became more professional, and fiscal transparency increased. I understand the responsibility of overseeing a large public institution and make decisions based on sound judgment, accountability, and doing what is right for kids. This role requires experience, preparation, and the courage to make difficult decisions.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As Chair of the Finance Committee later the combined Finance, Capital, and Bond Committee, I have focused on building trust in our funding relationships, and long-term planning rather than short-term fixes. That includes identifying deferred maintenance, prioritizing safety and security needs, and ensuring budgets are transparent and responsible. Well-maintained, modern facilities matter because they directly affect student learning, staff morale, and long-term costs for taxpayers.

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.

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New Hanover County Board of Education

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