This local election cycle, all of the sitting mayors in Orange County and one in Chatham County decided they would not run for re-election. A trio of current elected officials threw their names into the ring early in the filing period and, ultimately, saw no competition.
Carrboro voters elected Barbara Foushee as their next mayor on Tuesday night, while Hillsborough elected Mark Bell and Pittsboro in Chatham County elected Kyle Shipp. The tallies on Election Day formalized what had been clear for months: the trio were set to become the new top public officials in their respective towns.
Foushee, who was first elected to the Carrboro Town Council in 2017, becomes the first Black woman mayor in town history and earned many endorsements during her campaign. That included from her predecessor, Damon Seils, who is stepping away after one term as mayor. Foushee also picked up support from groups like The Collective PAC, the Sierra Club, the Anderson-Thorpe-Battle Breakfast Club, NEXT Chapel Hill & Carrboro, and the INDY Week.
“It felt surreal and a little overwhelming,” she said as the results came in on Tuesday night, “but I also was just really, really grateful to be so well-received — still — by the Carrboro community. And I really appreciate it.”
During an interview with 97.9 The Hill, Foushee said she heard a lot from residents on the campaign trail about housing affordability, expanding transportation options, and stormwater management — which she pledged to continue exploring as an elected official. She also pointed to the ongoing hiring processes for a new town manager and town clerk, plus two new council members, as opportunities for her to be a “unifier” within the local government.
On history being made by her becoming the first Black woman to hold Carrboro’s mayoral title, Foushee said it means a lot to her despite not being something she highlighted during her campaign.
“Certainly,” she said, “I will bring a different lived experience to the seat, a different moral compass, somewhat of a different vision. I dare not say better — but I will just say ‘different.'”
With two years left on her term, the Carrboro Town Council will have a vacant seat once Foushee is sworn in as mayor — meaning the elected body will have the opportunity to either appoint someone to finish the term or hold a special election in 2024.
Bell, who takes over from Mayor Jenn Weaver after her two terms, announced his candidacy instead of seeking a third term on the town’s board of commissioners. It will be a step up after serving as mayor pro tempore and is just his latest step up in town service. He served on advisory and organizational boards, like the Hillsborough Parks and Recreation Board, Hillsborough Water and Sewer Advisory Committee, and the Hillsborough Historic District Commission.
In a conversation with Chapelboro, Bell said one of his biggest priorities is staying true to Hillsborough’s climate pledge to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2050 – which means hitting an 80-percent benchmark by 2030.
“2030 is right around the corner,” he said. “That gives us only six years to reach that. So, I really do think the next two years are going to have to be focused on… How do we get to that point, and how much does that cost us in terms of capital expenditures? And do we have to take on new debt to accomplish some of these tasks?”
The mayor-elect said despite having no opponents, the support shared by the Hillsborough community during his campaign was thrilling and rewarding. Bell acknowledged, though, that his transition comes as two other new mayors are also taking up the reins. He said he looks forward to working with Foushee, and also Jess Anderson in Chapel Hill, to continue their towns’ partnership in helping Orange County achieve all of its goals.
“Hillsborough thinks of itself in terms of a regional presence,” Bell said, “and so we need to continue to have good relationships with Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Orange County itself. So, congratulations to all the elected officials who won in those races, and we look forward to working with you in the future.”
Shipp was first elected to a town role in 2019, earning the most votes of the commissioner candidates after serving on Pittsboro’s planning board. He announced his plans to run for mayor in June, as Mayor Cindy Perry shared that she would be leaving local government service. Perry was elected in 2021 after taking a break from being the town’s mayor — and endorsed Shipp as her successor in his candidacy announcement.
With the result in hand for months, Shipp told 97.9 The Hill on Wednesday that it was “nice to get past the milestone” of Election Day. He said he personally does not aim to make major changes in the town’s leadership style, but he recognizes that major projects are on the horizon and Shipp aims to help usher the expanding town those through.
“We have a lot of growth coming, particularly with sewer [infrastructure] on the way now,” the mayor-elect said. “There’s a lot of interest in development in Pittsboro — more than I’ve ever seen since I’ve been involved. Working to make sure that development is what we want in Pittsboro and that is all tying into the other resources around it is something [I want to prioritize.]”
The Chatham Park development has already brought thousands of new residents to the community, but many more are on the way. As those outer-lying neighborhoods are constructed and continue to be filled, Shipp said it’s his goal to help the town’s leadership determine supportive types of development. He said his goal is for each town resident to still identify as someone in the Pittsboro community compared to their neighborhood or proximity to the historic downtown.
“We’ve done a lot of work that helps in a paper planning [perspective],” Shipp added, “and now, as some actual developments come in outside of Chatham Park, we can do a lot better job integrating the town together. And that’s always been a priority of mine: [I want] people to feel like and say that they live in Pittsboro.”
Unlike Bell and Foushee, Shipp is set to serve a four-year term. The Pittsboro Board of Commissioners passed a measure to extend its mayor’s terms in September from two to four years.
Local election results from races in Orange and Chatham County can be found here.
Editor’s Note: This story was initially published the night of November 7 and has been updated with more details on November 9.
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Why can’t ALL NC elections be shown?