Candidates in the races for Chapel Hill Mayor and the Town Council will face off Thursday night in a two hour debate hosted by WCHL, the Sierra Club, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Chapel Hill Association of REALTORS® and the Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties.
Nine people are vying for four seats on the Chapel Hill Town Council this November. The three incumbents, Jim Ward, Donna Bell and Lee Storrow, face Adam Jones, David Schwartz, Jessica Anderson, Nancy Oates, Paul Neebe and Michael Parker.
There’s also one open seat on the council that’s been vacant since Matt Czajkowski resigned in March.
Incumbent Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt faces two challengers, Pam Hemminger and Gary Kahn.
Kleinschmidt has served as mayor since 2009, and two terms on the council prior to that. Hemminger previously served on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board and the Orange County Board of Commissioners. Gary Kahn has run for office twice in the past, both times unsuccessfully.
Aaron Keck will moderate the discussion, exploring issues of development, growth, affordability and more. Bring your questions for candidates or submit them to us using Facebook or Twitter.
You can join us live in the Council Chamber at Chapel Hill Town Hall, or tune in on the radio at 7 o’clock. The forum will be simultaneously broadcast on Chapel Hill Gov-TV and streamed on the Town’s website as well as Chapelboro.com
Related Stories
‹

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson Announces 2025 Re-Election CampaignChapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson will run for a second term this summer and fall, as she announced Thursday on 97.9 The Hill.

2023 Municipal Election Results for Local RacesTuesday marks Election Day for municipal races across North Carolina. Polls opened at 6:30 a.m. in the state and will close at 7:30 p.m.

Council Member Jess Anderson Files to Run for Chapel Hill MayorTown Council Member Jessica Anderson entered the election for Chapel Hill Mayor, setting up a race between two sitting town council members.
![]()
INDY Week Releases Endorsements for Local ElectionsThe alternative weekly newspaper INDY Week released their endorsements for the Orange County municipal elections on Tuesday evening. In the Chapel Hill mayoral race, the paper endorsed mayoral candidate and incumbent Pam Hemminger, citing her work securing the affordable housing bond in 2018 and her prioritization of combating climate change as main reasons it is […]

Candidate Intros: Town of Chapel Hill Town Council (4 Seats) and MayorHear from the candidates running for Town of Chapel Hill Town Council: Jessica Anderson: https://chapelboroaudio.s3.amazonaws.com/2019/CANDIDATE%20INTROS/Anderson_FINAL.mp3 Sue Hunter: https://chapelboroaudio.s3.amazonaws.com/2019/CANDIDATE%20INTROS/Hunter_FINAL.mp3 Tai Huynh: https://chapelboroaudio.s3.amazonaws.com/2019/CANDIDATE%20INTROS/Huynh_FINAL.mp3 Nancy Oates: https://chapelboroaudio.s3.amazonaws.com/2019/CANDIDATE%20INTROS/Oates_FINAL.mp3 Michael Parker: https://chapelboroaudio.s3.amazonaws.com/2019/CANDIDATE%20INTROS/Parker_FINAL.mp3 Amy Ryan: https://chapelboroaudio.s3.amazonaws.com/2019/CANDIDATE%20INTROS/Ryan_FINAL.mp3 Renuka Soll: https://chapelboroaudio.s3.amazonaws.com/2019/CANDIDATE%20INTROS/Soll_FINAL.mp3 Hear from the candidates running for Town of Chapel Hill Mayor: Pam Hemminger: https://chapelboroaudio.s3.amazonaws.com/2019/CANDIDATE%20INTROS/Hemminger_FINAL.mp3 Joshua Levenson: https://chapelboroaudio.s3.amazonaws.com/2019/CANDIDATE%20INTROS/Levenson_FINAL.mp3

Chapel Hill Town Council Discusses Hiring Process for New Town ManagerChapel Hill’s Town Council discussed the expectations and competencies officials will be looking for when selecting a new town manager at Wednesday night’s meeting. Current town manager Roger Stancil announced in November that he will retire in the fall of this year after 12 years of service. President and founder of Developmental Associates Stephen Straus […]
![]()
Unopposed Carrboro Candidates Use Campaign Season to Promote Voter TurnoutMunicipal races will be over in less than a month, and candidates in Carrboro are taking the opportunity to urge voters to make their voice heard. While most eyes in local politics are focusing on the races for Chapel Hill Mayor and Town Council as well as the Chapel Hill – Carrboro City School Board, […]
![]()
Poll Shows Tight Race Ahead for Chapel Hill Municipal ElectionUndecided voters will likely determine the Chapel Hill Town Council and Mayoral leadership this November, according to new polling numbers. With a heated campaign season well underway, Public Policy Polling commissioned a Chapel Hill-specific survey and exclusively shared the results with WCHL-Chapelboro. PPP Director Tom Jensen says, with more than a month to go before […]
![]()
Chapel Hill: Mayor Pro Tem Amy Ryan on Good Neighbor Initiative, Flood Response and Upcoming EventsChapel Hill Mayor Pro Tempore Amy Ryan joins 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell on Thursday, August 14.

EPA Advisor, Former Professor Louie Rivers III Announces Bid for Chapel Hill Town CouncilLouie Rivers III, a social science advisor for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and former professor, announced his bid for the Chapel Hill Town Council this week. Rivers is one of six candidates who have announced bids for the four available seats on the council this fall. “Since the last presidential election, I have become […]
›