Early voting is underway now for the 2016 primary election, with a number of key races on the ballot. There’s the presidential race, the Senate race, and the “Connect NC” bond proposal – and at the local level, there are also four open seats on the Orange County Board of Commissioners, with nine candidates in the running. (All nine candidates are Democrats, so the BOCC races will be decided in the primary: whoever wins the Democratic nomination will be running unopposed in November.)

Find your Orange County early voting sites here.

Three of those nine candidates – Mark Marcoplos, Matt Hughes, and Andy Cagle – are competing for the at-large seat being vacated by outgoing Commissioner Bernadette Pelissier. Which candidate should get your vote? What do the candidates have to say about the future of Orange County?

On Monday, WCHL’s Aaron Keck welcomed Marcoplos, Hughes and Cagle to the studio for an informal, hour-long conversation about Orange County’s biggest issues.

Listen to the forum.

 

Last week, WCHL also hosted informal forums for the four candidates running for two seats representing District 1 and the two candidates running for a seat representing District 2.

Listen to the District 1 forum here.

Listen to the District 2 forum here.

Early voting runs through Saturday, March 12; primary day is Tuesday, March 15.

Related Stories
‹
2016 Election: Price, Hauser Vie For BOCC District 2
In the 2016 election for Orange County Commissioner, Renee Price and Bonnie Hauser are vying to represent District 2.
2016 Election: BOCC District 1 Candidates Square Off
Election 2016 is upon us! Wednesday, WCHL hosted all four candidates for District 1 of the Board of County Commissioners.
Burroughs Will Not Run for Re-Election to Orange County Board of Commissioners in 2018
Mia Burroughs announced at Tuesday night’s Board of County Commissioners meeting that she will not be seeking re-election in 2018. Burroughs holds one of the three seats up for election next year after being elected to the board in 2014. Burroughs was a member of the Chapel Hill – Carrboro City Schools Board of Education […]
Orange County Commissioners Issue Lynching Apology, Approve Historical Markers
The Orange County Board of County Commissioners approved resolutions last Tuesday acknowledging and apologizing for all "criminal acts of racial terror lynching” in Orange County.
Orange County Board of Commissioners Seeks Input on Election Process
Elections for the Orange County Board of Commissioners are held in even numbered years with commissioners serving four-year terms, however the board is now seeking public input on how those elections are held. If changes are made, they could be applied in the next commissioner election in 2022.
Orange County CROWN Act Expands Non-Discrimination Ordinances to Natural Hair
Orange County government passed the CROWN Act banning discrimination based on a person’s hair texture or hairstyle, especially those associated with a particular race, religion, or national origin. CROWN is an acronym standing for "create a respectful and open world for natural hair." The Orange County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed adopting language from the act to update its non-discrimination ordinance.
Fowler, Hamilton Join Orange County Commissioners; Farewells Given to Rich, Marcoplos
Monday night, Orange County’s Board of Commissioners acknowledged oaths of office for new and re-elected board members and said goodbye to those who just finished their four-year terms.
Sally Greene, Earl McKee Elected to Orange County Board of Commissioners
Orange County voters selected Sally Greene and Earl McKee to seats on the Board of County Commissioners in the primary election on Tuesday night. Greene and McKee, both Democrats, will be the only candidates on the ballot this fall with no Republicans filed to run for the seats. Greene, the former Chapel Hill Town Councilmember, […]
Orange County Voters Selecting New At-Large Commissioner
The end of an era is coming for the Orange County Board of Commissioners. Barry Jacobs is leaving the board after serving for two decades. After initially filing to run for another term, Jacobs withdrew that paperwork. On the same day, former Chapel Hill Town Councilmember Sally Greene filed to run for the seat. Greene […]
Judge: Libel Case Over Double-Voting Accusations to Continue
Four North Carolina voters can pursue their libel lawsuit against allies of former Gov. Pat McCrory and a Virginia law firm that tried to help the Republican politician’s unsuccessful effort to disqualify votes and win re-election in 2016, attorneys learned Tuesday. Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour notified attorneys he’s decided to allow the four plaintiffs […]
›