Here are the candidates on Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough ballots in 2025
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- All three mayors filed for re-election; Carrboro's Foushee faces a challenger.
- Chapel Hill Town Council will gain new members as two incumbents step down.
- Nov. 4 election includes school board races and requires voter registration by Oct. 10.
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Voter Guide: Chapel Hill, Carrboro & Hillsborough elections
On Nov. 4, 2025, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough voters will elect mayors and town board members, and Chapel Hill and Carrboro voters will also elect Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board members. Here is information about voting and the candidates.
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Update: Chapel Hill Town Council candidate Jon Mitchell and Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education candidate Lynnee Argabright withdrew from their respective races in late August. They will not appear on the November ballot.
A challenger for Carrboro’s mayor and more candidates for local races stepped forward as the filing period for November’s town and school board elections came to a close Friday.
All three local mayors on Orange County — Jessica Anderson in Chapel Hill, Barbara Foushee in Carrboro, and Mark Bell in Hillsborough — have filed for re-election in the Nov. 4 municipal election. Only Foushee will face a challenger, Joe H. Lloyd Jr., a Carrboro native and retired heating and air-conditioning professional.
Lloyd said he is running because of concerns about Carrboro’s roads and infrastructure, and because he wants to help people.
Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough voters also will elect new town board members, and Chapel Hill and Carrboro voters will also elect Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board members.
In Chapel Hill, Town Council members Karen Stegman and Adam Searing are not seeking re-election, opening up at least two seats to new members.
Carrboro Town Council member Randee Haven-O’Donnell announced Friday she is also stepping down after 20 years on the board.
At least one new member will be elected to the CHCCS school board, after member Mike Sharp decided not to run again.
Voters must register by Oct. 10 to cast a ballot on Election Day, Nov. 4.
Voters also can register during One-Stop Early Voting, Oct. 16 to Nov. 1. Find more information about voting in Orange County at orangecountync.gov/1720/Elections.
Here are the candidates who have filed:
Chapel Hill mayor
▪ Jess Anderson (incumbent)
Relevant experience: Mayor since 2023; Town Council, 2015-23 (mayor pro tempore, 2017-19)
Website: jessformayor.org
Career: Professor of the practice of public policy, policy analyst and interim director of the Master of Public Policy Program, UNC-Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill Town Council — 4 seats
▪ Camille Berry (incumbent)
Relevant experience: Council member since 2021; board member, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic; board member, Porch Communities; member and former president, Chapel Hill Sunrise Rotary Club; former board member, Hope Renovations; former board member, Piedmont Health; mentor, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate Program; founding board member, Transplanting Traditions Community Farm; former co-chair, Cedar Falls precinct
Website: camille4chapelhill.com
Career: Principal, Camille Berry Consulting; community relations coordinator, Carolina Friends School
▪ Wes McMahon
Relevant experience: Chapel Hill Planning Commission since 2022; former member, Chapel Hill Parks, Greenways, and Recreation Commission; board member, Friends of Chapel Hill Parks, Recreation, and Greenways; board member, North Carolinians Against Gun Violence; founder, NCGV Action Fund
Website: wesforchapelhill.com
Career: English as a Second Language teacher, Durham Technical Community College; health navigator, Refugee Community Partnership; Refugee Admissions Program, U.S. State Department (ended earlier this year)
▪ Paris Miller-Foushee (incumbent)
Relevant experience:Chapel Hill Town Council since 2021; member, Empowerment Inc. board of directors; member, Marian Cheek Jackson Center board of directors; former secretary, Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP; Orange County Community Remembrance Coalition
Website: paris-millerfoushee.com
Career: Assistant director, Center for Muslim Life at Duke University; former Inter-Faith Council for Social Service ACTIVATE! IFC advocacy team leader
▪ Louie Rivers III
Relevant experience: member, Northside Compass Group at the Jackson Center; Chapel Hill Planning Commission (2015-21); member, Booker Creek Watershed Working Group
Website: louieforch.squarespace.com
Career: Associate professor, Department for Forestry and Environmental Resources, N.C. State University; former senior social science advisor, Office of Research and Development, Environmental Protection Agency
▪ Erik Valera
Relevant experience: Ran unsuccessfully for Chapel Hill Town Council in 2023; outgoing member, Chapel Hill Planning Commission; member, Governor’s Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs; board member, Orange County Arts Alliance; member, Duke Cancer Institute Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity steering committee; member, UNC Martin Delaney Collaboratory Community Advisory Board; graduate, Diamante Arts Leadership Institute
Website: erikforchapelhill.com
Career: Nonprofit consultant, Valera Community Solutions; program director, Latinos in the Deep South, Latino Commission on AIDS
Carrboro mayor
▪ Barbara Foushee (incumbent)
Relevant experience: Mayor since 2023; Carrboro Town Council, 2017-23; OWASA Board of Directors, 2015-18; Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP; Community Home Trust, former board member; First Baptist Church of Chapel Hill Community Action and Political Awareness Ministry; Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.; Eta Phi Zeta Graduate Chapter
Website: barbaramfoushee.com
Career: Senior technologist, Labcorp
▪ Joe H. Lloyd Jr.
Relevant experience: No previous offices held; member, Grace Church in Durham; sponsors people in recovery from drugs and alcohol, Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous
Career: Retired HVAC professional, Warren-Hay Mechanical
Carrboro Town Council — 3 seats
▪ Fred Joiner
Relevant experience: member Orange County Arts Alliance advisory board; former member, Orange County Arts Commission advisory board; Carrboro Poets Council; West End Poetry Festival; former Carrboro Poet Laureate (2019-22); former judge, National Endowment for the Arts
Career: Information technology specialist, UNC System office and UNC-Chapel Hill School of Government; poet and co-founder of The Center for Poetic Thought in Washington, D.C.
▪ Danny Nowell (incumbent)
Relevant experience: Council member since 2021; member, N.C. Triangle Chapter of Democratic Socialists of America
Website: dannynowell.com
Career: Freelance copywriter, fiction writer, and musician
▪ Cristóbal Palmer (incumbent)
Relevant experience: Elected to council in special March 2024 contest; active member, Democratic Party, member, Triangle Linux Users Group; member, Carrboro Bicycle Coalition
Career: Systems administrator, technical director of ibiblio, a UNC School of Information and Library Science digital library and tech lab
Hillsborough Mayor
▪ Mark Bell (incumbent)
Relevant experience: Mayor since 2023; Town Board member (mayor pro tempore) 2015-23; board member, Triangle West Transportation Planning Organization, Orange County Solid Waste Advisory Board, Orange County Veterans Memorial, Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce (ex officio), PORCH Hillsborough, Northern Orange NAACP, and the NC Telehealth Network Association; member, Cedar Grove Volunteer Fire Department; veteran, U.S. Naval Reserve.
Website: facebook.com/MarkBellForHillsborough
Career: Author; consultant, Health Management Associates
Hillsborough Board of Commissioners — 2 seats
▪ Robb English (incumbent)
Relevant experience: Town Board member since 2019; former member, Hillsborough Parks and Recreation Advisory Board; Cornwallis Hills property owners association board
Career: Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation administrative coordinator
▪ Kathleen Ferguson (incumbent)
Relevant experience: Town Commissioner, 2013-present; Central Pines Regional Council delegate; N.C. Association of Regional Councils Forum delegate; advisory board member, Orange County Reentry Council; former chair, Orange County Economic Development Commission; Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness/Orange County Continuum of Care; board, Orange County Historical Museum; former 1st vice chair, president, N.C. Women in Municipal Government; member, Fairview Community Watch; co-founder and former chair, Hillsborough Heights Community Watch
Career: Owner, Bamboo Spirit LLC coaching and consulting
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board — 3 seats
▪ George Griffin (incumbent)
Relevant experience: School board member since 2021, current chair; former PTA president and School Improvement Team member
Website: griffinforschools.com
Career: Retired education consultant and teacher
▪ Riza Jenkins (incumbent)
Relevant experience: School board member (current vice chair) since 2021; chair, N.C. Sustainable Energy Association; former president, CHCCS PTA Council; former member, Seawell Elementary School Improvement Team
Website: facebook.com/RizaforCHCCSBOE
Career: Senior energy consultant, ICF; former vice president of asset management, Summit Ridge Energy
▪ Melinda Manning
Relevant experience: Former parent chair, Carrboro High School Improvement team; former middle school social studies teacher (Teach for America); former board president, N.C. Coalition Against Sexual Assault; Carrboro Board of Adjustment
Website: manningforchccs.com
Career: Director, UNC Health Beacon Program, former Assistant Dean of Students, UNC-Chapel Hill, former adjunct faculty, UNC Public Policy and Social Work
This story was originally published May 13, 2025 at 8:00 AM.
