Wake County’s school board ballot just got a lot more interesting. Two members, Cheryl Caulfield (District 1) and Chris Heagarty (District 7), did not file for reelection before the window closed Friday, leaving both of their seats open on the November ballot. Their current terms run through December 2026, but their exits mean only Chair Tyler Swanson and Christina Gordon will appear as incumbents this fall, turning two districts that cover parts of Wake Forest, eastern Raleigh, Morrisville and northwest Raleigh into fully open, potentially hard-fought races.
Their decisions and stated reasons were detailed by The News & Observer. Caulfield wrote in a Tuesday Facebook post, “After much thought and prayer, I have decided that at this time I need to focus on my family and health,” and the paper notes she has backed the Parents’ Bill of Rights, higher teacher pay and tighter discipline policies. Heagarty told the paper he is stepping back because increased professional travel, family obligations and personal health concerns are demanding more of his time, and he has endorsed Maddie Segal to run for his District 7 seat.
Board background and what they’ve done
Heagarty was appointed to the board in 2018 and later won elections for the District 7 seat in 2020 and 2022, according to the Wake County Public School System. The Wake County election results site shows he carried District 7 in 2022 with just over half of the vote. Both Caulfield and Heagarty have been active voices in budget and policy debates during their time on the board.
Who’s running to replace them
Eleven candidates ultimately filed to run in the four Wake County school board contests this fall, and District 7, the seat Heagarty is vacating, is now a three-way race among Jacob Arthur, Amita Gupta and Maddie Segal, according to The News & Observer. District 1’s newly open seat drew Bonnie Greaves, Sebrina Pierce and Jasmine Zavala, while Districts 2 and 9 also feature multiple hopefuls. Early endorsements are already shaping the field, with Segal backed by several current and former board members, the paper reports.
What voters should know
School board contests are officially nonpartisan, but local coverage has tracked how partisan leanings still shape these races, with recent cycles showing Democrats holding a 7-2 advantage on the board. WRAL has noted that party preferences continue to influence endorsements and campaign strategies even when ballots leave party labels off. With filing now closed, campaigns move into high gear ahead of the Nov. 3 general election, as candidates scramble for name recognition and key endorsements in several closely watched districts.
