3 candidates are tracked for Gaston Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Dan Brandon, Colby Watts and Bill Ward. Candidate information follows official Gaston County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Nonpartisan race; three candidates for two seats, confirmed on the county's official sample ballot. Bill Ward chairs the board now, per the county's staff directory. This contest is on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
The board's stated mission is to provide leadership and conservation help to Gaston County residents to improve and sustain their soil, water, air, plant and wildlife resources. Its listed goals include securing county, state and federal funds for technical, administrative and cost-share help, reducing polluted runoff, running conservation education programs and keeping a skilled natural resources staff, per the county's board page.
Under state law the board has five supervisors: three elected countywide and two appointed by the state Soil and Water Conservation Commission. The election is nonpartisan with no primary, and the top two vote-getters win four-year terms that begin the first Monday in December, per state law (G.S. 139-6). Every Gaston County voter votes on the elected seats. In 2026 two elected seats expire, per the North Carolina Division of Soil and Water Conservation. The board meets at 4 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Citizens Resource Center in Dallas.
The county's 2026 offices list names Bill Ward and Dan Brandon as the current holders of the two seats up in 2026, and both are on the ballot.
Official source: Gaston County: Soil and Water Conservation District board, Gaston County: offices on the 2026 ballot
North Carolina › Gaston County › Gaston Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor
Nonpartisan
Dan Brandon is the sitting Vice Chair of the Gaston County Soil & Water Conservation District Board, per the county's staff directory. He is a retired forester who also worked as a firefighter and studied forestry at N.C. State University, per The Election Hub. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Nonpartisan
Colby Watts works as a parks and recreation sports turf manager for the City of Gastonia and previously interned in groundskeeping for the Carolina Panthers, per The Election Hub. He holds associate's degrees from N.C. State University and Gaston College. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Nonpartisan Incumbent
Bill Ward chairs the Gaston Soil and Water Conservation District Board, with a term that runs through December 2026, per the county's staff directory. He lives in Stanley and has owned a STEM-education business since 1999 and a photography business since 2005, per the statement he gave the Gaston Gazette in 2022. No campaign website was found as of September 29, 2026.
Who is running for Gaston Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor in 2026?
3 candidates are tracked for Gaston Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Dan Brandon, Colby Watts and Bill Ward. Candidate information follows official Gaston County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
When is the Gaston Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor election in North Carolina?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for North Carolina are on the North Carolina election hub at theballotbrief.com.
How do I see my exact Gaston County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.
Candidate roster from official Gaston County and state election office filings, last verified September 29, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.
Cross-check with the official North Carolina election office, or see the full Gaston County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.
20 tracked races in Gaston County, North Carolina. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.