My Promise
Born and raised right here in Gaston County, and I’ve never left, because I never wanted to, I have dedicated every aspect of my life to service of my community. I am currently an ADN nursing student and I serve our community directly through my work within critical care.

Matt Buchanan for Gaston County Commissioner | Healthcare & Community First

Matt Buchanan was born and raised in Gaston County. He is currently a nursing student.

My Promise
Born and raised right here in Gaston County, and I’ve never left, because I never wanted to, I have dedicated every aspect of my life to service of my community. I am currently an ADN nursing student and I serve our community directly through my work within critical care.

Before that, I’ve worked in many fields; from fast food, retail, manufacturing, and automotive— the same jobs that many of us work and that hold up our county.

Matt Buchanan works in critical care. He previously worked in fast food, retail, manufacturing, and automotive.

Matt's campaign for County Commissioner is his first run for public office. 

2026 North Carolina General Election

Keep safety and environmental protections, with clear timelines

Require accountability when projects are delayed or denied

HOUSING & ZONING

Issues & Priorities | Matt Buchanan for Gaston County Commissioner — Matt Buchanan for County Commissioner

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Support employers who train workers and pay living wages

Expand apprenticeships and trade pipelines

Support employers who train workers and pay living wages

Expand apprenticeships and trade pipelines

Speed permits and inspections for small businesses

Expand apprenticeships and trade pipelines

Speed permits and inspections for small businesses

Invest in childcare supply so parents can work

Speed permits and inspections for small businesses

Invest in childcare supply so parents can work

CUTTING COSTS & EFFICIENCY

CUTTING COSTS & EFFICIENCY

Audit county rules to remove unnecessary delays

Limit discretionary vetoes that stall projects

Audit county rules to remove unnecessary delays

Limit discretionary vetoes that stall projects

Keep safety and environmental protections, with clear timelines

Supports requiring accountability for delayed or denied projects.

Wants to require accountability for delayed or denied projects.

Supports employers that train workers and pay living wages.

Supports expanding apprenticeships and pathways into skilled-trade jobs.

Supports faster permits and inspections for small businesses.

Supports investing in childcare availability so parents can work.

Supports auditing county rules to remove unnecessary delays.

Supports limiting discretionary vetoes that stall projects.

- Wants to require accountability for delayed or denied projects.
- Supports employers that train workers and pay living wages.
- Supports expanding apprenticeships and pathways into skilled-trade jobs.
- Supports faster permits and inspections for small businesses.
- Supports investing in childcare availability so parents can work.
- Supports auditing county rules to remove unnecessary delays.
- Supports limiting discretionary vetoes that stall projects.

Economy

PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY

Expand mobile clinics for mental health, addiction, and primary care

Reduce red tape for nonprofit and community clinics

Expand mobile clinics for mental health, addiction, and primary care

Reduce red tape for nonprofit and community clinics

Target resources using real health data

Reduce red tape for nonprofit and community clinics

Target resources using real health data

Connect people in crisis to treatment and housing, because it costs the county less and works better than doing nothing.

Supports expanding mobile clinics for mental health, addiction, and primary care.

Supports reducing regulatory barriers for nonprofit and community clinics.

Supports using health data to target public resources.

- Supports expanding mobile clinics for mental health, addiction, and primary care.
- Supports reducing regulatory barriers for nonprofit and community clinics.
- Supports using health data to target public resources.

Public Services

Fast-track permits for workforce housing

Allow duplexes, triplexes, and ADUs in already-served areas

Set clear timelines (“shot clocks”) for zoning and planning decisions

HOUSING & ZONING
Too many Gaston County families are being priced out of their neighborhoods in the county they grew up in.

Here’s how I’ll fix it:

Fast-track permits for workforce housing

Allow duplexes, triplexes, and ADUs in already-served areas

Allow duplexes, triplexes, and ADUs in already-served areas

Set clear timelines (“shot clocks”) for zoning and planning decisions

Use surplus county land for mixed-income housing

Set clear timelines (“shot clocks”) for zoning and planning decisions

Use surplus county land for mixed-income housing

TRAVEL & TRANSPORTATION

Proposes allowing duplexes, triplexes, and accessory dwelling units in already-served areas.

Proposes allowing duplexes, triplexes, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in already-served areas.

Proposes fast-tracking permits for workforce housing.

Proposes clear timelines for zoning and planning decisions.

Proposes using surplus county land for mixed-income housing.

- Proposes allowing duplexes, triplexes, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in already-served areas.
- Proposes fast-tracking permits for workforce housing.
- Proposes clear timelines for zoning and planning decisions.
- Proposes using surplus county land for mixed-income housing.

Housing & Urban Development

Target resources using real health data

Connect people in crisis to treatment and housing, because it costs the county less and works better than doing nothing.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Supports connecting people in crisis with treatment and housing.

- Supports connecting people in crisis with treatment and housing.

Public Safety

TRAVEL & TRANSPORTATION
If you’ve ever sat through three light cycles just trying to get onto Wilkinson, or have seen the conditions some of our rural roads are in, then you know our infrastructure needs serious attention.

Prioritize intersection fixes, turn lanes, and signal timing

Improve bus frequency and reliability

Prioritize intersection fixes, turn lanes, and signal timing

Improve bus frequency and reliability

Require new developments to contribute to mobility solutions

Improve bus frequency and reliability

Require new developments to contribute to mobility solutions

Coordinate county and city projects to prevent duplication and delay

Require new developments to contribute to mobility solutions

Coordinate county and city projects to prevent duplication and delay

Ensure rural roads and infrastructure are maintained and supported

Coordinate county and city projects to prevent duplication and delay

Ensure rural roads and infrastructure are maintained and supported

ENERGY & UTILITIES

Prioritizes intersection improvements, turn lanes, and signal timing.

Supports improving bus frequency and reliability.

Supports requiring new developments to contribute to transportation solutions.

Supports coordinating county and city projects to prevent duplication and delay.

Supports maintaining and supporting rural roads and infrastructure.

- Prioritizes intersection improvements, turn lanes, and signal timing.
- Supports improving bus frequency and reliability.
- Supports requiring new developments to contribute to transportation solutions.
- Supports coordinating county and city projects to prevent duplication and delay.
- Supports maintaining and supporting rural roads and infrastructure.

Transportation & Infrastructure

Limit discretionary vetoes that stall projects

Keep safety and environmental protections, with clear timelines

Require accountability when projects are delayed or denied

ENERGY & UTILITIES

Fast-track energy infrastructure that saves the county money

Modernizing our grid for future growth

Fast-track energy infrastructure that saves the county money

Modernizing our grid for future growth

Use county purchasing power to reduce resident costs

Modernizing our grid for future growth

Use county purchasing power to reduce resident costs

If these are the priorities you want represented in county government — I need your help.

Supports maintaining safety and environmental protections while setting clear project timelines.

Supports fast-tracking energy infrastructure that saves the county money.

Supports modernizing the electrical grid for future growth.

Supports using county purchasing power to reduce resident costs.

- Supports maintaining safety and environmental protections while setting clear project timelines.
- Supports fast-tracking energy infrastructure that saves the county money.
- Supports modernizing the electrical grid for future growth.
- Supports using county purchasing power to reduce resident costs.

Energy & the Environment

Matt Buchanan

- Supports employers that train workers and pay living wages.
- Supports expanding apprenticeships and pathways into skilled-trade jobs.
- Supports faster permits and inspections for small businesses.
- Supports investing in childcare availability so parents can work.
- Supports auditing county rules to remove unnecessary delays.
- Supports limiting discretionary vetoes that stall projects.

- Proposes fast-tracking permits for workforce housing.
- Proposes clear timelines for zoning and planning decisions.
- Proposes using surplus county land for mixed-income housing.

Matt's campaign for Gaston County commissioner is his first time running for public office.

Supports employers who train workers and pay living wages.

Supports expanding apprenticeships and trade pipelines.

Supports speeding up permits and inspections for small businesses.

Supports using county purchasing power to reduce costs for residents.

Supports investing in childcare to enable parents to work.

Supports using surplus county land for mixed-income housing.

Supports allowing duplexes, triplexes, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in areas with existing services.

Plans to audit county rules to remove unnecessary delays.

Supports limiting discretionary vetoes that delay projects.

Supports addressing addiction and homelessness as health and housing issues.

As of January 5, 2026, Matt Buchanan’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Supports prioritizing improvements to intersections, turn lanes, and traffic signal timing.

Supports requiring new developments to contribute to mobility solutions.

Supports coordinating county and city projects to prevent duplication and delays.

Supports expediting clean energy initiatives on county property.

Alejandra Gracias

Buket Urgen

Cathy Cloninger

- County Commissioners create and pass laws at the county-level. These laws show up in very tangible ways, such as determining how much you pay property and sales tax rates, public transportation, and maintaining infrastructure.
- County Commissioners are responsible for preparing and passing the county budget. The budget determines how much funding goes to various public services, such as public transportation, law enforcement, repairing roads, and maintaining infrastructure.
- County Commissioners oversee the administrative duties of your county’s government to ensure the safety, comfort, and well-being of county residents.
- County Commissioners can create, change, or abolish offices, positions, departments that are not required by law. 
- County Commissioners are elected to 4-year terms, with no term limits. Typically, you only vote for the County Commissioner that represents your county commission district.