Forsyth County Board of Education District 1 Incumbent Wes McCall won out over Republican contender Dennis Scheidt, earning 68% of the 8,770 ballots cast in the General Primary and Nonpartisan General Election on Tuesday, May 24.

Who he is: McCall was first elected to the Forsyth County Board of Education District 1 seat in 2018 after first moving to the county in 2002. He works as an emergency manager and holds an undergraduate degree from Grand Canyon University in Christian Leadership and a graduate degree from Columbus State in Public Administration.

How he reacted: "My family and I are glad this election is over," McCall said. "As the District 1 Republican nominee, it is humbling to know that our community trusts and appreciates our hard work and passion to serve the students, parents and teachers.

"This would not have happened without the support from my family, friends and community," he continued. "It is not about me, but about us, the community as a whole. This speaks volumes! It's refreshing to know that individuals and groups who try to create divide in our community have little influence. Our FoCo community is strong and they want leaders who place others first, can build collaboration and have vision to move forward. That's who I am."

On the issues: McCall has said some of his main priorities on the school board moving forward would be building a safe and connected school system; using district revenues to lower residential educational millage rates; creating a district that is “for Forsyth County by Forsyth County;” promoting individualized learning and parent involvement; working with state legislators to keep critical race theory and divisive concepts out of the classroom; and promoting curriculums that focus on economics, civics and critical thinking skills.

What’s next: McCall will face Democrat Janna Kregoski in the Nov. 8 election.

Forsyth County Board of Education District 1 seat:

Wes McCall - 68.06%

Dennis Scheidt - 31.94%