N&O article Chapel Hill only – cut and pasted
Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger now has two challengers in her bid for re-election this fall.
Town Council member Hongin Gu filed to run for mayor Tuesday. A second challenger, Zachary Boyce, filed Wednesday. The News & Observer’s effort to reach him by phone was not immediately successful.
Hemminger, a commercial real estate professional, and Gu, a mental health research and analytics consultant, both were first elected with support from the grassroots citizen group Chapel Hill Alliance for a Livable Town.
Gu also has had the support of the town’s growing Asian population, which was about 13% of the over 64,000 people estimated to live in Chapel Hill in 2019.
Chapel Hill voters also will choose at least three new council members, since only incumbent council member Karen Stegman is seeking re-election.
In Carrboro and Hillsborough, incumbent board members are seeking re-election, while one Carrboro council member is running against a local business owner to replace Mayor Lydia Lavelle, who is not seeking re-election.
Hillsborough’s Mayor Jenn Weaver is running unopposed so far.
The municipal filing period ends Friday for offices in all three towns and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board.
In addition to new mayors, voters in the towns will choose four council members in Chapel Hill, three in Carrboro, and two in Hillsborough in the Nov. 2 municipal election.
Three seats on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education are on the ballot, including the seat held by board member Lisa Kaylie, who was appointed earlier this year to serve out now-Orange County Commissioner Amy Fowler’s term.
Lavelle announced in May that she will not seek a fifth, two-year term, and in Chapel Hill, one council seat has remained vacant since former member Rachel Schaevitz moved to New Zealand in 2020.
Chapel Hill council member Allen Buansi has announced he will not seek a second term in office, while Gu, by seeking the mayor’s office, will vacate her council seat in December.
All of the school and municipal races on the ballot are nonpartisan.
Filing period dates: The filing period is open until July 16.
Voter registration deadline: Voters can register through Oct. 8 to vote in this year’s municipal elections, or register during early voting, which runs from Oct. 10 through Oct. 30.
More information about running in the municipal elections is available from the N.C. State Board of Elections at tinyurl.com/8ranpx4w.
Come back to this story regularly for an updated list of candidates who plan to run in the municipal and school board races.
CHAPEL HILL MAYOR
▪ Name: Zachary Boyce
Address: Cleland Drive
Name: Hongbin Gu
Age: 53
Address: Parkridge Avenue
Political experience: Chapel Hill Town Council member since 2017; Chapel Hill Environmental Stewardship Advisory Board; former principal and board member, Chinese School at Chapel Hill; United Chinese Association (mental health committee); Chinese-American Friendship Association; organizer, Chapel Hill LightUp
Website: facebook.com/
Career: consultant, mental health research and analytics
Quote: “This position I feel like is something that’s very important, something I feel very passionate about. Chapel Hill is at this conjunction with regards to where we’re going and what we want to be, so I think it’s a very important election, and I’m hoping that I’m going to bring in this debate about who we are and what is the role of our government, what are our priorities and our focus, and I think these are all very important questions — systemwide questions — that need to be resolved through elections.”
▪ Name: Pam Hemminger (incumbent)
Age: 61
Address: Boxwood Place
Political experience: Chapel Hill mayor, 2015-present; Orange County commissioner, 2008-12; Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education, 2004-08; treasurer, N.C. Metro Mayors Association; founder, Jordan Lake One Water; former member, Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Commission and Greenway Commission; former chair, Upper Neuse River Basin Authority
Website: pamhemminger.org
Career: Owner, Windaco Properties LLC
Quote: “In the coming months, I look forward to talking with everyone about mobilizing our entire community around the Climate Action Plan. I’m also eager to share my next steps for advancing strong economic development that will bring additional good-paying jobs to Chapel Hill and fund the things that Chapel Hillians care about, including affordable housing, public and cultural arts, more green gathering spaces and a vibrant downtown.”
CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL
▪ Name: Robert Beasley
Address: Ridge Trail
▪ Name: Camille Berry
Age: 52
Address: Erwin Road
Political experience: member and former president, Chapel Hill Sunrise Rotary Club; Leadership Fellow, The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro; former membership chair and Diversity and Inclusion chair, N.C. Triangle chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals; board member, Piedmont Health; mentor, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate Program; board member, Hope Renovations; founding board member, Transplanting Traditions Community Farm; former co-chair and current social chair, Cedar Falls precinct
Website: camille4chapelhill.
Career: Principal, Camille Berry Consulting; former development and communications manager, Community Home Trust
▪ Name: Andrew Creech
Age: 30
Address: Carr Street
Political experience: No prior experience
Career: managing partner, BlueHorn Lounge
▪ Name: Jeffrey C. Hoagland
Age: 35
Address: Elizabeth Street
Political experience: None
Website: tinyurl.com/wpbv28pa
Career: Manufacturing, Kymera International
Quote: I want to try to help local Chapel Hill businesses and help to keep the downtown area townie friendly
▪ Name: Paris Miller-Foushee
Age: 46
Address: North Roberson Street
Political experience: member, Empowerment Inc. board of directors; member, Marian Cheek Jackson Center board of directors; vice chair, Chapel Hill Community Policing Advisory Committee; steering committee member, Re-Imagining Community Safety Task Force; secretary, Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP; Orange County Community Remembrance Coalition
Website: paris-millerfoushee.
Age: 46
Address: North Roberson Street
Political experience: member, Empowerment Inc. board of directors; member, Marian Cheek Jackson Center board of directors; vice chair, Chapel Hill Community Policing Advisory Committee; steering committee member, Re-Imagining Community Safety Task Force; secretary, Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP; Orange County Community Remembrance Coalition
Website: paris-millerfoushee.
Career: Inter-Faith Council for Social Service ACTIVATE! IFC advocacy team leader; former adjunct professor, St. Augustine’s University
Quote: “I will advocate for intentional planning that includes affordable housing and living for our essential employees (and) purpose-built, transit-oriented land-use that encourages small businesses to thrive and employ members of our community. Chapel Hill has diverse natural habitats, features, and land that can hold economic sustainability in our town. I will call for deeper engagement with residents in the LUMO rewrite so that our Town can plan land-use to protect our community’s environmental safety. Environmental justice is about planning with an intentional approach to equity and development steeped in history and inclusive culture.”
▪ Name: Vimala Rajendran
Age: 62
Address: Indian Trail Road, Chapel Hill
Political experience: No elected positions; studied political science and active in the community for 36 years, helping with other campaigns, and lobbying for living wages and pressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture for changes in food regulations.
Website: facebook.com/
Career: Executive chef and owner, Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe
Quote: “Because of what I believe about the impact of small business and the local economy and how I bring the perspective of … what local governments can do to encourage small, family businesses. … I bring the perspective of a successful small business owner from the west end of Franklin Street (while advocating for) a better town-gown relationship with the university and also affordable housing and sustainable development.”
▪ Name: Adam Searing
Address: Mill Run Drive
▪ Name: Karen Stegman (incumbent)
Age: 52
Address: Buxton Court, Chapel Hill
Political experience: Elected to Town Council in 2017; chair, Chapel Hill Public Housing Advisory Board; chair, Ephesus Elementary School Improvement Team; PORCH neighborhood coordinator; Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate mentor
Website: stegman4chapelhill.
Career: Director of business development, IntraHealth International
Quote: “During (the last four years), we faced one of the most difficult challenges in our history — COVID-19. I am so proud that our residents came together to respond effectively to COVID-19 … Because of this response, we are now able to begin re-opening. We must continue this momentum to enable Chapel Hill to build back better than ever.”