Republican Party

Macon County, North Carolina

Local Republican Candidates

Contested Primary Positions

Macon County Commissioners District 1
John Shearl

Macon County Commissioners District 2
Kellie McConnell Burns, Dylan Castle

Macon County Sheriff
Brent Holbrooks

County Commissioners District 1

John Shearl
John Shearl Was elected in November 2022.

I am married to Lila Munger Shearl. We have three sons Allen, Michael and Jared, two daughters-in-law Sarah Kimsey Shearl and Jenna Jasinski Shearl and four grandchildren Cameron, Weston, Ruby and Peyton.

I am a graduate of Franklin High School, a N.C. Licensed Contractor, and founder of Shearl Produce, Inc. in Otto, North Carolina. I am also, a retired Highlands Firefighter and Medical Responder, former Macon County Planning Board member, former Highlands High School baseball coach, and recipient of the Highlands High School "Service to the School Award."

I look forward to serving the people of Macon County. "In God We Trust."

County Commissioners District 2

Kellie M Burns
Kellie M Burns

I am Kellie Burns and I am running to be your next District 2 County Commissioner.

I am a lifelong resident of Macon County—born and raised. My lineage spans back generations, which means my roots run deep, and my love and commitment for this county is unsurpassed.

I have been married to the love of my life, Chris Burns, for the past 30 years. Chris recently retired from UPS after 37 years of dedicated service. He is, without a doubt, the greatest man, husband, father and friend you will ever meet. We have been blessed with three children and two beautiful granddaughters. Our family is everything to us and it is one of the main reasons that I am running to be your next commissioner. I want to make sure that we lay a foundation for a better tomorrow.

Growing up, my dad instilled a love for the great outdoors in me so I spend most of my time hiking, camping and working outside on our farm. I preserve and can my own food and recently started making my own salves, antibiotics, and other homemade remedies.
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I was blessed to have a mom who taught me the value of hard work and perseverance. She instilled a love for Jesus Christ in me that will never die. I owe her everything and I am eternally grateful for her.

Thanks to her guidance, I am the Manager and Vice President of a local bank where I have the distinct pleasure of serving the people of Macon County and beyond. I have been rated number one bank-wide in every job position that I have held at the bank for the past 29 years—spanning all the way back to my Macon Bank/Entegra days. Along with several other accolades, I was also selected as Macon County’s Choice for “Best Banker” by the Franklin Press.

I have worked alongside neighbors, family and friends to help raise awareness for notable causes and to help those in need. All of this led me to envision and create events like The Sweet Carolina Music Festival and 828 Treasure Quest which not only raises money for our local non-profits, but also promotes and creates tourism and development in our county.

I am a member of The Daybreak Rotary Club where I became a Paul Harris Fellow. I also recently won the “Free Dinner for a Year” at Riverwalk Grill (hahaha).

In all seriousness—I am truly blessed that God has given me a heart for others and the desire to live an intentional life. I want everything that I do to serve a purpose and garner meaning. I am thankful for every challenging endeavor that God lays before me. I am constantly envisioning what could be. I love strategically planning, networking and organizing ways to make things happen.

With that being said—if elected—you (my constituents) will become my purpose, and this county will be my vision. I will work diligently alongside others to move Macon County forward in a way that will make us sustainable and relevant, all while preserving the very essence of who we are. I will make sure that we operate with thoughtful intent—paving the way for our children, grandchildren and the many generations to come. I believe there is a delicate balance between honoring what is and striving for what could be, and that we must consciously toe that line.

I promise to represent every faction of our population, regardless of political affiliation, status, or creed. I will always keep your best interests—and the best interests of Macon County—at the forefront of every decision that I make. My commitment is to use my financial background and spiritual awareness to help usher in fiscal responsibility, accountability, integrity, and truth. I want nothing less than to do what is best for the people of Macon County.

I hope to usher in a new era for our board that fosters meaningful change that welcomes new ideas and helps to cultivate an atmosphere of respectful debate and thoughtful dialogue that will move our county forward.

I look forward to serving and getting to know you better.

May God richly bless you and yours!
Dylan Castle

Born to Jack and Doreen Castle, my family and I moved to Franklin, NC when I was in the 3rd grade. My parents recognized the importance of a Bible-based education and made the decision to homeschool myself and my older brother, Justin. Since both parents retired from the US Air Force, my homeschooling experience was held to a high standard. While I did not always enjoy it at the time, I recognize my elementary and high school education as a priceless treasure that built me into the man I am today.

After high school, I chose to attend Pensacola Christian College and studied Education, Physical Education, Youth Ministries, and Pastoral Ministries, earning a B.A. in 2016. Within weeks of graduating college, I began working as a full-time Youth Pastor at Victory Baptist and even taught in its Christian school.
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After almost a decade of ministry in my childhood church, I felt God's call to begin a new ministry journey. For the past 5 years, I have been the pastor of a home fellowship that meets in houses in Macon and Jackson Counties. Now a bi-vocational pastor, I have found a variety of employment opportunities, from managing a print shop for a small business owner in Sylva, to working in the trades as a carpenter, to becoming self-employed. My wife (Christie) and I met in college, and have been married since 2017. We have a son, Sterling (3), a daughter Marcie (passed away the day after she was born, 2023), and a third child due in 2026.

My interest in politics began during my time as a high school teacher at Victory Christian. Because of my love for history in general, I was asked to teach US History. However, knowing the teaching I received from my own history classes would not be enough to teach my new students, I spent months of deep study preparing.

What began as a general appreciation for history, quickly morphed into an intense passion to share and teach the specifics of history. The next semester, I was asked to teach US Government, compelling me to once again spend months of deep study, on an even more specific topic.

Combining my love for the Founding Fathers from US History class, and the imperative to always stand for righteousness from my Bible classes, I taught US Government with a zeal and focus for how things were intended to be done, why they should be done that way, and how to properly realign things that had been shifted from their original design.

Armed with this new passion and knowledge base, I became eager to communicate these truths to more than just my students. The timing could not have been more perfect. People had just begun discussing the need for lockdowns in response to a new disease, Covid-19.

As people pleaded with government bodies of all sizes to make common sense decisions, I began to realize that my ability to speak publicly and communicate clearly was truly a gift from God, therefore, I was determined to use that gift for more than just the church house.

What began as a journey of reasoning with government boards about lockdowns, mandates, and policies has continued past the pandemic years into current hot topics of parental rights, child innocence, and traditional values. My message has remained the same: decisions made in the best interest of the people should not trample individual liberty, as long as leaders: 1) understand their Constitutional role, 2) temper their emotions, 3) stand with conviction, and 4) move with compassion.

I am running for County Commissioner first and foremost because I know that God has called me to this endeavor. I told God that I would bring Him with me anywhere I go, to do any task He set before me. I believe that God wants to be a part of our government, and is giving me this opportunity now, because He knows that I will take Him with me.

Secondly, I want to help my community. I am aware of many needs facing our county: housing, career jobs, family growth, and county services to name a few. While I have my own thoughts on how to address these, a commissioner does not work in a vacuum. He has to make decisions taking into account county government and employees, other commissioners, and most importantly, the citizens of Macon County.

Therefore, what I offer to the voters of Macon County is not just possible solutions, but more importantly, proven leadership, a willingness to listen and learn, care to find the best options possible, conviction to make hard choices, and above all the commitment to honor my oath before Almighty God to serve all citizens of Macon County.

As a pastor, I have learned first-hand that a leader must be a servant with a heart for people. As a patriot, I know the role of government is to protect our rights, not grant them. My goal once elected is to truly embody the term "public servant" and do my best for the people of Macon County.
Dylan Castle
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