NEWTON — The League of Women Voters of Catawba Valley says every candidate for the Catawba County Board of Commissioners and the Catawba County Schools Board of Education is scheduled to take part in two public forums next week and the week after at the Catawba County Library in Newton.
The commissioners forum is Thursday, Oct. 1, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The school board forum is Thursday, Oct. 8, in the same time window. Both are at the main library at 115 West C Street in Newton, according to the League’s events page and the county library site.
The League lists six commissioners candidates for the Oct. 1 program: Sherry Edmonds Butler, Jesse Alden, Cole Terrell Setzer, Jay Moore, Phyllis Michaux and Aubrey Gregory.
For Oct. 8, it lists six school board candidates: Matthew Fox, Greg Whitener, Khristy Womack Smith, Don Sigmon, Tim Settlemyre and Kevin Hawley.
On its Local Candidate Events page, the League states that all commissioner and school board candidates are attending. It asks the public to be ready to write and submit questions the evening of each forum. An advance window to email school board questions to [email protected] ran from Sept. 12 through Sept. 25.
The League says both forums will be recorded and posted later on the same events page, along with a timeline of questions and responses. It describes itself as a nonpartisan organization that does not support or oppose any political party or candidate.
Voters looking for ballot and registration information can also use VOTE411.org, which the League promotes on its site.
Earlier coverage: Catawba First has been covering the fall ballot and school-system issues that may surface at the forums, including Catawba Democrats’ opposition to a property-tax constitutional amendment, state review of school-district merger briefs due Oct. 5, and the Catawba County Schools board’s decision to pull a flag-display policy from its Sept. 28 agenda without a vote.
Source note
Tip: a local news report, League of Women Voters of Catawba Valley plans candidate forums (Sept. 30, 2026). Primaries: League of Women Voters of Catawba Valley, “Local Candidate Events” / “Two Catawba County Candidate Forums Coming Up!” (lwvcv.org/voter-events-in-the-catawba-valley); LWVCV home calendar (lwvcv.org); Catawba County Library location listing, 115 West C Street (catawbacountync.gov/county-services/library).
Cover: File graphic from the League of Women Voters of Catawba Valley website (voter registration image on the Local Candidate Events page). Not a photograph of the October forums.
