As the 2023 local election season continues, Chapel Hill mayoral candidate Jess Anderson is picking up endorsements from several former town leaders and elected officials.

Anderson’s campaign announced Thursday her latest endorsement: former U.S. Representative David Price, who served in Congress for 34 years and whose districts often represented Orange County. The Congressman continues to live in Chapel Hill as well, where he’s kept an address for 50 years.

“As a member of Congress, I’ve worked with numerous local leaders over the years,” Price said in a statement. “I’m impressed with Jess Anderson’s inclusive and balanced approach to bringing stakeholders together and addressing the town’s challenges. She offers the kind of leadership we will need for the critical years ahead.”

Price’s support now makes it two-dozen current and former elected officials who have shared their endorsements of Anderson. Five Chapel Hill Mayors are among that group: outgoing Mayor Pam Hemminger, as well as former mayors Howard Lee, Mark Kleinschmidt, Rosemary Waldorf and Ken Broun. Additionally, five of Anderson’s colleagues on the current Chapel Hill Town Council have endorsed her run for mayor. Incumbent candidate Amy Ryan, outgoing council members Michael Parker and Tai Huynh, and council members Paris Miller-Foushee and Karen Stegman have each shared their support over the campaign of fellow council member Adam Searing, who is also running for Chapel Hill Mayor.

Anderson was first elected to the Chapel Hill Town Council in 2015, and is finishing a four-year term that saw her earn the most votes of any town council candidate in the 2019 election. The former educator and education policy analyst is running on a platform of adhering to the Complete Community planning framework adopted by the town council in late 2022. Key elements of the project include adding housing to meet Chapel Hill’s demand through denser growth and cohesive projects, with the local government approaching projects through a connective lens instead of a case-by-case strategy. Anderson has also pledged to seek more partnerships with major local employers to achieve housing goals, as well as reaching sustainability benchmarks and strengthening the town’s economy.

Early voting for the fall local government elections begins on Thursday, October 19, with Election Day set for Tuesday, November 7.

For a full list of races Chapelboro is covering this 2023 local election cycle, click here. Additional coverage on candidates can be found on the Local Elections page, as well as other updates in the races as the election cycle continues this fall.

Photo via Jess Anderson for Mayor/Trevor Holman Photography.

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