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County Judge/Executive, Carroll County

Vote for
1
Term
4 years
Candidates
2
Election
Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: The county judge/executive is the county's chief executive: presides over the fiscal court, prepares the county budget and runs county government.

Open seat: Judge/Executive David Wilhoite is not on the ballot. Mark Bates won the May 19, 2026 Republican primary over District 3 Magistrate J. Scott Nab. Declared write-in candidate: Benjamin Long (Secretary of State's list of filings with the county clerk).

CandidatesCompare by issue

Mark Bates

Republican

Water and sewer department supervisor, City of Milton; former magistrate

The gist

  • Supports expanding countywide sewer and natural gas service
  • Supports more housing for young families, workers and retirees
  • Supports streamlined planning and developer partnerships for growth
  • Supports county investment in parks and community events
More about Mark
View sources (1)

  1. Supports expanding countywide sewer and natural gas service

    Carroll Judge-Executive — Mark Bates

    Candidate questionnaire · Carroll County News-Democrat · Apr 14, 2026 · madisoncourier.com

    “continued investment in our roads, bridges, expansion of county-wide sewer access, and improved natural gas availability”

  2. Supports more housing for young families, workers and retirees

    Carroll Judge-Executive — Mark Bates

    Candidate questionnaire · Carroll County News-Democrat · Apr 14, 2026 · madisoncourier.com

    “Carroll County needs more quality housing options for young families, workforce employees, and retirees who want to stay in our community”

  3. Supports streamlined planning and developer partnerships for growth

    Carroll Judge-Executive — Mark Bates

    Candidate questionnaire · Carroll County News-Democrat · Apr 14, 2026 · madisoncourier.com

    “through infrastructure expansion, streamlined planning processes, and partnerships with developers”

  4. Supports county investment in parks and community events

    Carroll Judge-Executive — Mark Bates

    Candidate questionnaire · Carroll County News-Democrat · Apr 14, 2026 · madisoncourier.com

    “continuing to support public spaces, partnering with tourism and local organizations, and investing in events”

Ruby Tucker

Democratic

The gist

No documented position found.

More about Ruby

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 4 issues covered in this race.