BY KARISSA MILLER

Max James Jr.’s name won’t appear on the ballot in November’s general election.

But the northern Iredell County resident still hopes to win the race for the District 1 seat on the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education.

James, a Democrat, is running as a write-in candidate against Brian Sloan, who won the Republican primary in May. James qualified as a write-in by securing 100 validated signatures and submitting them to Iredell County elections officials.

“Now the real work starts to get people to write my name in,” he said.

James previously served on the I-SS board but was defeated by Republican Ken Poindexter after the N.C. General Assembly approved a local bill making the I-SS board a partisan contest. Poindexter, who died in April, resigned his seat after being diagnosed with cancer. Bryan Shoemaker was appointed to complete Poindexter’s term.

James said he decided to run in the November 8 election after being asked by both Republicans and Democrats to do so.

With current members Martin Page, Sam Kennington, Todd Carver and Shoemaker preparing to leave the board, James believes his prior experience on the board would be an asset to the district.

James was born and raised in Iredell County. His mom was an educator and his wife is a retired I-SS principal. He works as a senior environmentalist for the state Department of Agriculture.

“I think with working with the Department of Agriculture — the largest industry in the state, I feel that I’m pretty qualified to help kids with what needs we need to bring to the schools,” he said.

For the past 29 years, he’s volunteered his time working with the Future Farmers of America teachers and students at North Iredell High School.

“My main goals are bringing the best opportunities to the students that are there,” he said.

Although there are financial challenges, James said he would like the district to look at expanding programming on the elementary level. Programs like the district’s dual-immersion language program enhances the education experience, he said.

“I’m from North Iredell. I’m a product of the school system. My heart is with North Iredell. I know on the school board we vote for the whole county,” he said.

“I bring practical ideas from the education that I’ve worked in the environmental field, which has been ever changing. But it’s not partisan and I have supporters on both sides. I’ve been doing this for 34 years. So I feel very qualified to listen to the parents, listen to the administrators and try to be an advocate for what we want in our schools and in our county,” he added.

A 1980 graduate of North Iredell High School, James earned associate degrees from North Carolina State University and Mitchell Community College. He also obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration degree from UNC-Charlotte.