Republicans won Union County’s school board races Nov. 3, with Linda Robinson, Stephen Smith and Brandi Smith defeating Democratic opponents and Barry Tucker finishing ahead of write-in challengers in unofficial returns.
The State Board of Elections results, checked Nov. 5, showed all precincts reporting in the four Board of Education contests. The totals remain subject to ballot review, canvass and certification.
The vote counts
In the countywide at-large race, Linda O. Robinson received 54,446 votes, or 54.73%, to Alexis Stadler’s 45,036, or 45.27%. Robinson’s margin was 9,410 votes.
In District 4, Stephen Smith received 11,339 votes, or 59.95%, to Brittany Cabuno’s 7,574, or 40.05%.
In District 6, Brandi Smith received 9,796 votes, or 52.02%, to Evan Metaxatos’s 9,036, or 47.98%, a 760-vote margin.
District 3 was not entirely unopposed: Republican Barry Tucker received 11,381 votes, or 86.40%. Kaitlyn Sirico received 1,420 write-in votes, and miscellaneous write-ins accounted for 372.
Robinson’s education background
According to her campaign biography, Robinson earned a mathematics degree at UNC Greensboro, a master’s degree focused on curriculum and instruction, and National Board Certification. She worked at Porter Ridge High School as mathematics department chair and testing coordinator before retiring in 2017.
What the board oversees
The district’s Board of Education page describes a nine-member board, with six district seats and three at-large seats serving staggered four-year terms. The board establishes policy and oversees the administration’s implementation of it.
UCPS currently describes itself as serving approximately 40,000 students at 53 schools, updating the earlier enrollment figure in this article.
The district’s Strategic Plan 2026–2031 announcement identifies priorities including school culture, academic achievement and innovation, staff recruitment and retention, and parent and community partnerships. Staff are to report progress quarterly.
