Our choices for Chapel Hill mayor and Town Council

Chapel Hill voters will choose a mayor for a two-year term and four at-large council members for four-year terms. The remaining seats on the nine-member council will be up for election in 2023.

Similar to Apex, Chapel Hill’s mayoral and town council races are focused on controlling development, creating more affordable housing and protecting the environment.

Incumbent mayor Pam Hemminger has guided Chapel Hill well during the disruptions and challenges of the pandemic. She has proven to be a pragmatic leader focused on the long-term viability of the town. She and her challenger, council member Hongbin Gu, are campaigning on encouraging the growth of businesses, particularly in the downtown area. They also stress diversifying the local economy. Also running is Zachary Boyce, a UNC law student offering a sharp critique of a town government that he sees as mostly closed to lower-income Black residents.

We recommend Pam Hemminger for another term as mayor. We will miss having Gu’s perspective on council, and regret that she didn’t run for her seat again.

Eight candidates are on the ballot for the four Chapel Hill Town Council seats.

Incumbent council member Karen Stegman has been part of initiatives to reform the county’s criminal justice practices and the town’s police force. She’s also the only LGBTQ council member. We recommend Karen Stegman for another four-year term. For the other three seats, we recommend Camille Berry, Paris Miller-Foushee and Adam Searing.

Berry is a natural leader who has worked extensively with Chapel Hill nonprofits.

Miller-Foushee has been vocal about her experience as a Black Muslim woman, and is an advocate for the development of affordable housing

Searing is a passionate cyclist who has focused on preserving the town’s green spaces, and would be the best person to fill the space left by Gu. He represents Chapel Hill homeowners that are vying for more focus on public parks and trails.

Other council candidates on the ballot are: Robert Beasley, Andrew Creech (who has dropped out of the race), Jeffrey C. Hoagland and Vimala Rajendran.

Early voting, now underway at four locations in Chapel Hill, will end on Oct. 30. Polls will be open on Election Day from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Please vote.

This story was originally published October 22, 2021 at 4:30 AM.