Woody, Jamison win race for Jackson County School Board
Incumbent Wes Jamison and newcomer Gayle Woody have won the race for Jackson County Board of Education.
In this election cycle, there were four candidates vying for two seats on the school board, that of Chairman Elizabeth Cooper, who did not seek reelection, and Jamison, who did seek reelection.
With all 13 precincts reporting, Woody has beat out her opponent Rainy Brake by wide margin to represent district one. Woody won 61.5% of the vote, or 4,569 votes, to Brake’s 37.59%, or 2,777 votes.
Woody is a retired teacher who spent almost 25 years teaching in Jackson County Schools. Woody served one term as a county commissioner; she volunteers at United Christian Ministries and has served on the Smoky Mountain Pregnancy Care Center Board, as well as the Arts Council. Woody’s husband also worked in Jackson County Schools, and her two children were educated in that system.
In district three, incumbent Jamison beat challenger Clint Irons. Jamison won 56.91% of the vote, or 4,150 votes, while Irons received 42.64% of the vote, or 3,109 votes.
Jamison grew up in Jackson County, attended Scotts Creek Elementary School and graduated from Smoky Mountain High School. He went on to N.C. state University to study structural engineering and has now worked with the North Carolina Department of Transportation for 21 years. His children currently attend JCPS. Jamison was first elected to the school board in 2016 and was reelected in 2020.
