At least 22 Latino candidates have filed to run in local, state, and federal races for the elections of November 3, 2026 in North Carolina.
Within this group of aspirants is Michael Quiñones, a Republican candidate for one of the at-large positions on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth Public Schools Board of Education.
Quiñones is a U.S. Army veteran and has worked as a public school teacher in North Carolina for over two decades. He is also an entrepreneur and owns a small business in Kernersville.
As part of the initiative, 'Your Vote is Power' , Enlace Latino NC We have sent questionnaires to these Latino candidates covering races for the federal House of Representatives, both state houses, district judges, county commissioners, and school boards.
The goal is to provide our readers with information about who they are, why they decided to run, what their priorities are, and what they propose for the communities they seek to represent.
Political affiliation: Republican
Campaign website: Facebook Elect Michael Quiñones for WSFCS BOE
Can you briefly tell us about yourself, your background, and your experience?
I am originally from New York and moved to North Carolina after enlisting in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in September 2001.
After serving three years on active duty —including 222 days in Afghanistan as an infantry soldier— I became a public high school teacher and have since remained in classrooms as a social studies teacher in middle and high schools.
I earned a master's degree and a post-master's certificate in curriculum and instruction and educational leadership, respectively, from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. I also received National Board Certification in 2009.
As a teacher in North Carolina for the past 23 years, I have helped thousands of students overcome numerous obstacles to become productive, civically engaged, and critically thinking members of society. I have also been an entrepreneur and have owned a small business in Kernersville since 2011. I have been married for 27 years and have four adult children.
I hope to improve the functioning of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools through oversight, supervision, problem-solving, and collaboration with other board members and employees throughout the district.
Why did you decide to apply for this position, and what are the main experiences or qualities that you believe prepare you to perform in this role?
Since 2022, two minors have been victims of homicide — one in 2022 and another in 2025 — and many other students and staff members have suffered violence in our school buildings and campuses.
While I have been a strong, high-performing classroom teacher with decades of teaching experience and very high standards, I also recognize and understand the importance of running safe schools that protect the physical integrity of students and staff.
I have excelled at creating safe and supportive learning environments in the classroom, based on mutual responsibility. Students have always been, and continue to be, expected to behave and treat their classmates with the utmost respect and consideration.
I intend to demand that same level of standards across the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools district, with a rewritten code of conduct that creates safe and productive conditions for teaching and learning.
What do you consider to be the three main problems or challenges you will have to address in this position and why?
Safer schools; a much smaller and more efficient Central Office administration; and hiring and closely supervising district and school leadership.
The reasons are that without safe schools, students are distracted from learning. Without a much smaller Central Office, valuable funds are wasted. And without competent leadership at the district and school levels, coupled with close oversight, we lack clear direction.
If elected, what do you hope to achieve during your term and how would you evaluate whether your administration was successful?
If the voters of Forsyth County grant me the honor of serving as a member-at-large on the Board of Education, I am committed to ensuring that we have much safer schools, a much smaller and more efficient Central Office administration, and that we hire and closely supervise district and school leadership.
I will continually assess progress towards those goals and intend to achieve them within the first few months after taking office in January 2027.
If that hasn't happened during the first six months of 2027, I will have failed.
You may be interested: How to cast a provisional ballot in North Carolina
The Latino population continues to grow in North Carolina. Given the specific responsibilities of the position you are seeking, how do you plan to address the needs and concerns of Latino communities, including those facing language barriers or difficulties accessing public institutions?
This is a politically charged question.
I am not running for political office. I am running to serve as an elected member of the Board of Education, from where I will vigorously address the needs of all students and staff members of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools in accordance with federal, state, and local laws.
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