Voter Guide

What Cary Town Council candidates are saying about housing, development & LGBT+ issues

Cary’s nine Town Council candidates are (top) Michelle Craig, Don Frantz, Matthew Gronke; (middle) Mary Insprucker, Lori Bush, Ryan Eades; (bottom) Rachel Jordan, Sarika Bansal, Harold Weinbrecht
Cary’s nine Town Council candidates are (top) Michelle Craig, Don Frantz, Matthew Gronke; (middle) Mary Insprucker, Lori Bush, Ryan Eades; (bottom) Rachel Jordan, Sarika Bansal, Harold Weinbrecht Laura Brache

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Cary Town Council Election 2023

Cary residents will elect a mayor and new town council members this year. Nine candidates are on the ballot. Early voting for the town began Thursday, Sept. 21, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 7. Election Day is set for Tuesday, Oct. 10. Here is information about candidates and the election.

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In 2000, Cary’s population had not yet hit 100,000.

Now, the western Wake County town has over 174,000 residents and is home to the largest research park in the county.

Rapid growth puts pressure on schools, the environment, housing affordability, transportation and other quality-of-life issues that new and established residents face.

This year, nine candidates are on the ballot for mayor and three council seats. As of Wednesday evening, 3,767 Cary residents had voted in the election, according to the Chatham County Board of Elections. The early voting period ends Saturday.

On Tuesday, Election Day, residents need to vote at their designated polling place, which can be found through the Wake County Board of Elections, Chatham County Board of Elections and the Durham County Board of Elections.

Mayor Harold Weinbrecht, who was first elected to the town council in 1999 as an at-large representative, is running for re-election unopposed. The District D representative, Ryan Eades, is running to secure his seat for four years after being appointed to the council in December.

We asked the candidates about their priorities for the town and goals. Weinbrecht said he did not respond to our questionnaire because he is unopposed.

Follow the links below to see how the council candidates answered questions about growth and development, the LGBTQ+ community, the environment and green spaces, housing affordability, and to see who has endorsed them.

Cary’s At-large Candidates

Lori Bush

Mary Insprucker

Matthew Gronke

Cary’s District B Candidates

Michelle Craig

Don Frantz

Cary’s District D Candidates

Sarika Bansal

Ryan Eades

Rachel Jordan

Voting information

Cary’s municipal election is Tuesday, Oct. 10. Polls open at 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.

On Election Day, polling locations are designated for each voter through their county’s board of elections. Specific poll sites can also be found through the State Board of Elections.

Voters must show a photo ID or a voter ID to cast a ballot. For more information, go to wake.gov/departments-government/board-elections.

The Western Wake Report

Calling Cary, Holly Springs, Apex, Morrisville, Fuquay-Varina and western Wake County readers. Sign up to get The Western Wake Report, a free weekly digest for and about Wake County with stories published in The News & Observer. Get your newsletter delivered every Friday by signing up here.

This story was originally published October 6, 2023 at 5:30 AM.

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Kristen Johnson
The News & Observer
Kristen Johnson is a local government reporter covering Durham for The News & Observer. She previously covered Cary and western Wake County. Prior to coming home to the Triangle, she reported for The Fayetteville Observer and spent time covering politics and culture in Washington, D.C. She is an alumna of UNC at Charlotte and American University. 
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Cary Town Council Election 2023

Cary residents will elect a mayor and new town council members this year. Nine candidates are on the ballot. Early voting for the town began Thursday, Sept. 21, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 7. Election Day is set for Tuesday, Oct. 10. Here is information about candidates and the election.