School board

Board of Education, Brunswick County Schools

District 05

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

What this office does: A board of education member helps set policy, the budget and the superintendent's direction for Brunswick County Schools.

Residency district: every voter in the school district votes for this seat (the district is where the member must live; State Board November 5, 2024 general election precinct results, other seats of the same board).

Candidates Compare by issue

Brian D. Rupp

Democratic

Veteran; Brunswick County Schools parent

The gist

Proposes a long-range growth and enrollment planning policy
Supports the school bond but wanted more capacity
Proposes teacher exit data and annual climate surveys
Supports prioritizing teacher and staff pay

More about Brian

View sources (1)

Proposes a long-range growth and enrollment planning policy
Brian Rupp 2026 candidate questionnaire
Candidate questionnaire · Port City Daily (WECT / Port City Daily / WHQR / The Seahawk questionnaire) · portcitydaily.com
“One change I would push for is a formal, long-range growth and enrollment planning policy.”
Supports the school bond but wanted more capacity
Brian Rupp 2026 candidate questionnaire
Candidate questionnaire · Port City Daily (WECT / Port City Daily / WHQR / The Seahawk questionnaire) · portcitydaily.com
“I’ve said publicly that I support the bond, but I also believe it is smaller than the growth challenge facing us.”
Proposes teacher exit data and annual climate surveys
Brian Rupp 2026 candidate questionnaire
Candidate questionnaire · Port City Daily (WECT / Port City Daily / WHQR / The Seahawk questionnaire) · portcitydaily.com
“I want meaningful exit data and annual teacher climate surveys — then act on what they tell us.”
Supports prioritizing teacher and staff pay
Brian Rupp 2026 candidate questionnaire
Candidate questionnaire · Port City Daily (WECT / Port City Daily / WHQR / The Seahawk questionnaire) · portcitydaily.com
“I would prioritize teacher and staff compensation, classroom support, exceptional children’s services, school safety, CTE and workforce programs”

Steve Gainey

RepublicanIncumbent

Chairman, Brunswick County Board of Education

The gist

Led policy changes including a middle-school cellphone ban
Supports standardized curricula to lift low-performing schools
Introduced setting aside school land for teacher housing
Supports more funding for exceptional children's programs

More about Steve

View sources (1)

Led policy changes including a middle-school cellphone ban
Steve Gainey 2026 candidate questionnaire
Candidate questionnaire · Port City Daily (WECT / Port City Daily / WHQR / The Seahawk questionnaire) · portcitydaily.com
“including significant ones related to our curriculum development process, middle-school bell-to bell cellphone ban and religious freedom of expression”
Supports standardized curricula to lift low-performing schools
Steve Gainey 2026 candidate questionnaire
Candidate questionnaire · Port City Daily (WECT / Port City Daily / WHQR / The Seahawk questionnaire) · portcitydaily.com
“Implementing standardized curricula across all state-tested subjects and developing a district-wide, common instructional framework have been central to BCS lifting all schools”
Introduced setting aside school land for teacher housing
Steve Gainey 2026 candidate questionnaire
Candidate questionnaire · Port City Daily (WECT / Port City Daily / WHQR / The Seahawk questionnaire) · portcitydaily.com
“The decision to set aside the acreage was a unanimous decision by the current board that I introduced for consideration.”
Supports more funding for exceptional children's programs
Steve Gainey 2026 candidate questionnaire
Candidate questionnaire · Port City Daily (WECT / Port City Daily / WHQR / The Seahawk questionnaire) · portcitydaily.com
“But there is one area where all schools across the state are underfunded: Exceptional Children’s programs.”

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; 2 issues covered in this race.