Patrick "Bubba" Hartsell, a Republican, is running for Cabarrus County School Board in the Nov. 3, 2026 general election. Three seats are open, and voters will choose up to three candidates.

Asked why he is running, Hartsell said in our candidate questionnaire: "As a Cabarrus county native and proud graduate of CCS I have had the opportunity to see the district grow into what it is today. I want to ensure CCS is the safest and best district for students to learn and for staff to work for generations to come."

Five other candidates are in the race: James Kirk and William Barbee, both Republicans, and Democrats Courtney Steinberg, Mishell Williams and Pam Escobar.

Candidate information

Party: Republican

Education: "I am a proud graduate of CCS, Northwest Cabarrus High school class of 2004. I attended Rowan Cabarrus Community for general education and for Real Estate," Hartsell said in our questionnaire.

Family: "I have two children that attend CCS and my wife works for CCS," Hartsell said in our questionnaire. His wife, Victoria, is an exceptional children's teacher assistant in Cabarrus County Schools, according to The Cabarrus Compass.

Previous run: Hartsell ran in the March 2024 Republican primary for the Cabarrus County Schools Board of Education, receiving 11.2% of the vote with 6,985 votes, according to the Cabarrus County candidate filing list. He did not advance past the primary.

Experience and public service

Hartsell described his work history in our questionnaire: "I worked in public education for over 12 years, I had the opportunity to work in maintenance, then as an Instructional Assistant, Head Football and Wrestling Coach, Exceptional Children's Teacher, Behavior Support Specialist, Youth Education Assistant Team Leader Cadre with the North Carolina National Guard. I own and operate a real estate firm. I have been a small business owner for over 7 years."

He said he is "the immediate past chairman of the Cabarrus County Young Republicans and now serve on the Cabarrus GOP executive committee."

On the issues

What sets him apart: Asked about critical differences between himself and other candidates, Hartsell said in our questionnaire: "I am a graduate of CCS. I am a parent of 2 students in CCS. My wife works with Exceptional Children in CCS. I am a former employee of CCS. I have experience working with Exceptional Children as well as over 5 years working in a Title 1 school district. I have extensive knowledge of athletics as I coached 12 years in CCS."

Budget priorities: Asked which expenditures he would examine first, Hartsell said: "We need to look at the over staffing in HR and office areas until we can fill our classrooms. The amount of money spent on technology is ridiculous and there are areas and programs like 'I Ready' that new data shows it is not very beneficial to students … We need to build new schools but we also have to be mindful of taxpayers."

Conflict of interest: Asked how he would handle potential conflicts given his wife's employment with the district, Hartsell said: "I would follow the policies of CCS. If there was ever a vote that directly affected her pay I would have no problem excusing myself from that vote."

Accomplishments: Hartsell cited being "a 2025 nominee for 'Man of the year' by the NC federation of Young Republicans" and his experience as a small business owner for more than seven years.