Town Council Member Jess Anderson is entering the race for the Chapel Hill Mayor.
Anderson, who has served two terms on the Chapel Hill Town Council, shared a release with Chapelboro as she launched her campaign.
“Chapel Hill is an amazing place,” she said in a release. “To keep it that way, we need to address the realities of 2023 and beyond. As mayor, I’ll work hard at shaping our policy agenda so we prioritize meaningful solutions that last. My record as a council member reflects this commitment to moving us forward.”
Anderson was re-elected to the Chapel Hill Town Council in 2019, winning the most votes of all candidates in the race. Beyond her service with the town, she joined UNC’s Public Policy Department as a professor of practice one year ago and previously worked as a senior policy analyst at UNC Greensboro’s SERVE Center.
Anderson listed several ongoing town projects as highlights from her four years as an elected official. Chapel Hill’s adoption of the Complete Community framework in 2022 — which is a planning approach meant to help improve connections between housing, transit, and businesses while including the infrastructure for growth — was one issue she championed. She also cited growing the town’s commercial tax base, improving affordable housing options, and creating both housing and park space at town-owned property on Legion Road as ongoing priorities if she is elected.
“Our vision is that everyone in Chapel Hill – through a network of greenways – will be able to walk, bike or access transit to reach parks, schools, jobs, and shopping,” wrote Anderson. “As mayor, I’ll make sure this vision for an inclusive, sustainable and economically-vibrant future becomes reality. I’m excited to embrace this opportunity to move forward together.”
Anderson’s announcement came hours after sitting Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger shared she will not be running for re-election. Hemminger has served in the role since 2015 and shared her support of Anderson in the release.
“Jess possesses a unique combination of personal passion, professional skills, and past experience that makes her the best choice for Chapel Hill’s mayor,” said Hemminger. “In our work together, I’ve found Jess to be a fierce advocate, practical problem solver, and effective policymaker who consistently acts with integrity. Even when we didn’t agree, she worked collaboratively with me and others to get the best outcomes for our entire community, which is why she has my full support.”
The decision to run for mayor matches Anderson up with another sitting council member for this fall. Adam Searing, who has two years left on his council term, filed for the election in June. In his announcement, Searing was more critical of the town and council’s recent trajectory, saying he felt Chapel Hill has been going in “the wrong direction” with its approaches housing, environmental protection, and spending.
Since her seat’s term was expiring, Anderson’s move to the mayoral race opens up yet another spot on the town council. Two other council members, Michael Parker and Tai Huynh, shared they will not be running for re-election — meaning three seats will be without incumbents in the fall election. Amy Ryan, whose term is also expiring, has not yet shared whether she will seek her seat for a second term.
As of Wednesday, David Adams, Michael Beauregard, Breckany Eckhardt, Jeffrey Hoagland, Melissa McCullough, Theodore Nollert, Renuka Soll, Elizabeth Sharp, and Erik Valera have either filed or announced intentions to run for the Chapel Hill Town Council.
The filing period for candidates to officially enter the 2023 local election cycle in North Carolina runs for just two more days, ending at 12 p.m. on Friday. To see who has filed so far in other races, and to learn what is necessary to file for office, click here.
Photo via the Town of Chapel Hill.
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