Jacki Cole, 50, of Charlotte is the Libertarian candidate for lieutenant governor. The state Libertarian Party's executive committee named her to replace J.J. Summerell, who is now running for U.S. House District 1. 

Although a newcomer to politics, Mrs. Cole is a lifelong believer in libertarian principles. 

“One of the responsibilities of the lieutenant governor is to head the state board of education,” Cole notes.

“I'm happy to bring my unique background to the role of lieutenant governor. I’m the child of a teacher and an accountant, and I’ve worked as a substitute teacher, counselor and marketing/sales professional.” 

For the past 17 years, Cole has worked at a technology company in sales and marketing. In the position, she interacted with a diverse international workforce and customer base, handling major account service support relationship management, contract negotiations, pricing/costing, revenue projections, data analysis and reporting. 

Cole believes her education and work experience have prepared her for the position of lieutenant governor. She has a master's degree in business administration and a bachelor's degree in psychology with an emphasis on children and teens. She also has a minor in sociology with a focus on criminal justice and human sexuality and has taken several accounting classes. 

She is married to Tim Cole, an engineer and a member of the state Libertarian Party executive committee. They have been married for 28 years. 

As lieutenant governor, Cole said she would create an advisory group of teachers and parents to understand what the issues are surrounding education in North Carolina. 

“I have my own ideas looking in from the outside and I want to hear from the people affected how the state board of education could empower the local school districts to better educate their students,” she said. 

Cole will join a Libertarian ticket that includes Lon Cecil for governor, Sean Haugh for U.S. Senate, 12 candidates for General Assembly, and two candidates for county commissioner, in addition to Summerell. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016.