Alamance-Burlington School Board Member Dan Ingle Withdraws From November Ballot

Dan Ingle, a long-serving Alamance-Burlington School System (ABSS) board member and former Elon police chief, has withdrawn from this year’s race for one of three open school board seats on the November general election ballot. Alamance County board of elections director Dawn Hurdle confirmed that Ingle filed paperwork on Friday to remove his candidacy.

Ingle, 73, told The Alamance News in a brief phone interview that “It's time.” He pointed to a line from the Clint Eastwood film Magnum Force to explain his decision: “A man’s gotta know his limitations.” Ingle noted that, had he been reelected, he would be 79 by the time a second four-year term ended.

Ingle’s withdrawal reshapes the field for three seats that will appear on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot without a primary. The remaining candidates listed for the contest include Samira Khan of Burlington (Democrat); Dr. Eric Hall of Elon (unaffiliated), who was appointed last year to fill a vacated seat and filed last month to run for a full term; Katharine Frazier of Burlington (Republican); Stephanie Long Enoch of Green Level (Democrat); Kyle Ward of Graham (unaffiliated); and Brandy Whittaker of Burlington (Democrat). The terms for Ingle, Hall, and Dr. Charles Parker run until December 7, 2026.

Ingle’s public service spans several decades. He retired after a 40-year law enforcement career and served as Elon police chief. He was appointed by the county GOP to the state House in 2009, won a two-year term in 2010, and served on the Alamance County board of commissioners from 2004 to 2009 and again from 2014 until his resignation on April 1, 2016. In the 2022 ABSS race, Ingle led a six-candidate field with 33,897 votes (24.99 percent), ahead of Dr. Charles Parker and Chuck Marsh.

The school board’s recent history has included contentious debates that affected party affiliations and local politics. Ingle, Parker, and Marsh were registered Republicans when elected in 2022; Ingle and Marsh switched to unaffiliated in fall 2023 amid disputes that followed a $29 million mold outbreak that closed ABSS schools for two weeks in September 2023. At a November 2023 board meeting, Ingle made the motion to appoint Seneca Rogers and said, “I’m joining what’s becoming the majority party because I’m so disgruntled, particularly on the national level, with the infighting.” He has since returned his voter registration to Republican and said he sought to clear his conscience about past disagreements. Ingle quoted Proverbs 16:18 during remarks to a local Republican women’s group: “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” He also reflected on his reaction to 2023 events: “After doing this for 50 years – most, in some type of supervisory capacity, and people called me and blessed me out for making a decision – that got all over me. I got mad, and I apologized for that is what I did…Sometimes, we do things, and not only does it hurt our friends and acquaintances, but it hurts you spiritually.”

For voters, Ingle’s withdrawal removes an incumbent with name recognition and a substantial 2022 vote total, potentially changing campaign dynamics and the distribution of support among candidates. With three seats open and no primary, the general election will be decisive for board control and the direction of ABSS policy on school safety, facilities, and budgets. Residents should monitor candidate forums and the November ballot as campaigns refocus without Ingle on the ticket; Ingle will serve out his current term through December 7, 2026.