Use The N&O | Herald-Sun Voter Guide to research candidates running in Orange elections
Welcome to The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun’s Voter Guide for the 2021 Orange County municipal elections.
We have reached out to all of the candidates running for mayor, town board and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board and asked them to complete a candidate questionnaire.
This election features mayoral contests in Chapel Hill, where incumbent Mayor Pam Hemminger faces two challengers, and in Carrboro, where incumbent Mayor Lydia Lavelle is not seeking another term.
There also are heavily contested races for Town Council in Carrboro and in Chapel Hill, where incumbent council member Hongbin Gu is giving up her seat to run for mayor and incumbent member Allen Buansi is leaving to seek retiring state Rep. Verla Insko’s District 56 seat in 2022.
A third seat has been vacant since council member Rachel Schaevitz moved to New Zealand.
In Hillsborough, one challenger has joined the Board of Commissioners race, and there are six newcomers running for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board. School board member Lisa Kaylie, who was appointed earlier this year, and board members Mary Ann Wolf and Joal Broun are not on the ballot.
All the Orange County races are nonpartisan and will be decided in the Nov. 2 general election.
The names of candidates who responded to our questionnaire are hyperlinked below so that N&O and Herald-Sun subscribers can read their answers to our questions about local issues such as development and stormwater, their top priorities, and what life skills and experience make them the best candidate.
The early voting period runs from Oct. 14 to Oct. 30. The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 2 election is 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8. Requests to vote by mail must be received by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26.
If you have any questions or comments about this list, please contact Orange County reporter Tammy Grubb at tgrubb@heraldsun.com.
The candidates are listed in alphabetical order
CHAPEL HILL MAYOR (One seat)
* incumbent
CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL (Four seats)
Andrew Creech: Told The Daily Tar Heel last week that he’s dropping out to focus on his business interests.
* incumbent
CARRBORO MAYOR (One seat)
CARRBORO TOWN COUNCIL (Three seats)
*incumbent
HILLSBOROUGH MAYOR (One seat)
*incumbent
HILLSBOROUGH BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS (Two seats)
*incumbent
CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO SCHOOL BOARD (Three seats)
This story was originally published October 6, 2021 at 5:30 AM.
