Barbara Bleiweis is running for a third term on the Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District Board in the Nov. 3, 2026, North Carolina general election.

The nonpartisan race has two seats to fill. Jillian Nicole King, Long Tran, Makenzie Pearce and Michael Betterly are also running, according to BallotReady election data.

Voters may choose up to two candidates.

Asked why she is seeking office, Bleiweis said in the Ballantyne Beacon's candidate questionnaire: "Im seeking my third term because I love being in public service; i lover the conservation work that we have accomplished and I know that so much more can be done in with another term under my belt. I am especially proud of our Farmland Preservation Plan and the related agricultural ordinance established an Agriculture Advisory Board- giving voice to local farmers …"

Candidate information

Party affiliation: "Democrat"

Education: "BS Marketing, University of Maryland, College Park, MD. 1978"

Family: "Proud mom of two adult children and three cats. Since 1983, I have had more cats than kids and i think the kids still cost me more."

Occupation: In our questionnaire, Bleiweis said she is "retired from private industry" and added: "My decades long resume of complex sales honed a team oriented, goal setting, outcome-driven, metric minded mode of operation. I entered the world of soil and water conservation with this same mindset and am proud of the results."

Experience and public service

Bleiweis has served on the Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors since 2017 and is in her second elected term as chair, according to the N.C. Department of Agriculture. She is active within the National Association of Conservation Districts, serving on its Public Lands and Water and Climate committees.

Asked about her offices, Bleiweis said in our questionnaire: "I am the current Chair for the Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District, former President of the NC Association for Soil and Water Conservation (2025) Districts and the appointed in 2025 by Governor Stein as Chair of the NC Soil and Water Conservation Commission."

She also serves as a board member of the North Carolina Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation and has been a member of the Charlotte Water Advisory Committee since 2015, according to the N.C. Department of Agriculture.

On the issues

What sets you apart from other candidates? Bleiweis said: "Experience, focus, energy and vision. An effective Supervisor, in my experience, requires active engagement with key organizations as well as the community. It is more than showing up at monthly meetings … It is all about developing a plan and executing a clear vision that leverages our unique authority."

Accomplishments: Bleiweis said: "At that time, I set a goal to give local farmers an official voice to county commissioners. In 2024-25, working with the County manager's office, my Farmland Preservation Plan, and a related ordinance established an Agriculture Advisory Board (AAB) of local farmers was approved by the BoCC." She said the AAB has "approved enrollment of over 1000 acres in the Voluntary Ag District." Bleiweis added: "I have expanded our agreements with the City of Charlotte to provide conservation services to underserved/ underrepresented communities."

Stormwater and development pressures: Bleiweis said: "We need to expand capacity with headcount as well as funding for conservation practices. Decisions to build out our community to support the influx of new residents is something we do not control- and the best we can do at the moment is to make sure lawmakers are aware of the trade-offs of increase impervious surfaces ( roads, sidewalks)-and the impact on our streams, farms, and neighborhoods from run off." She pointed to a grant-funded biochar pilot, calling it "as a means to increase water retention in soils, but also remove toxic substances from contaminated soils."