With all of Chapel Hill’s precincts reported on Tuesday night, the Chapel Hill Town Council election appears unofficially decided.
Incumbent council members Camille Berry and Paris Miller-Foushee, as well as first-time council candidates Wes McMahon and Louie Rivers III, are set to earn four-year terms. The trio of Berry, McMahon and Rivers separated themselves with the early vote totals, with Miller-Foushee leading second-time challenger Erik Valera by hundreds of votes to claim the fourth available seat. With 16 of 16 precincts reporting in Orange County, Rivers led with 21.31% of the vote totals followed by McMahon (21%), Berry (20.81%), Miller-Foushee (19.49%) and Valera (16.41%).
With two open seats, the race could have mirrored the 2023, which featured a crowded field of candidates working in blocs based on differing visions of how to approach leading the town. But instead, this cycle was defined by the candidates’ overlap on key issues and willingness to work together – which was reflected in their comments Tuesday night.
Berry and Miller-Foushee will serve their second four-year terms, having been part of a busy stretch on the council where Chapel Hill significantly increased its affordable housing stock, overhauled its land-use and long-term planning approaches for development, and grappled with budget constraints. The latter issue culminated this summer when, combined with a countywide property revaluation, the town council voted to further raise resident taxes to cover both annual expenses and projected funding losses from the federal government.
Berry said on Tuesday night that balancing affordability for residents – including when it comes to taxes – will be top of mind for her in this next term.
“This budget year,” she told 97.9 The Hill, “I decided to vote for the increase that the manager was recommending, and I promised myself that we could make a significant step – not just a small one – toward preserving the integrity of our town, as far as the services we provide. I do not want to, and I will not, have another increase like that. So, that means …if we continue down this path and our budget requires us to make the tough choice, the tough choice will be ‘what services do we care about?’ Because we cannot do that to the public again…that is not what I wish to do and will not do.”
In past election cycles, that issue alone might have created contentious campaigns of finger-pointing solely focused on taxes. Or how the town’s ongoing land-use planning efforts are prioritizing a variety of housing options and density near high-traffic corridors. But this year, the five town council contenders aimed to be civil and cooperative in discussing policy points – like how to balance fiscal responsibility with town services.
During his victory speech at One.40 Social in Chapel Hill Tuesday night, Wes McMahon pointed this out. He will make the leap to elected office after having volunteered on the town’s planning board and Parks, Greenways, and Recreation Commission for years. McMahon said while he wants to support the town’s vision for planning, housing and climate resiliency, he understands both his council colleagues and residents will have differing views on how to best approach the big issues.
“The one thing I want to bring to this is that we can disagree without contempt,” he told supporters. “We can have disagreements without feeling like people have bad faith. And I believe that anyone who is volunteering their time to work in our government, in a town like ours, does care. And I will work with people from the standpoint that they are in this because they care and they have the intentions of the town in mind.”
Chapel Hill Town Council candidate Wes McMahon gives a victory speech to supporters at One.40 Social in Chapel Hill on Nov. 4, 2025. Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson and fellow town council candidate Louie Rivers III also delivered speeches at the party to celebrate their election. (Photo by Andrew Stuckey/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
Rivers – an EPA scientist who similarly will move from serving on the planning board to town council – told Chapelboro he wants to help repair the community’s relationship with the town government. This year’s race could serve as a model for that communication and cooperation while highlighting differing approaches.
“I feel really fortunate that I ran the race with Erik, with Wes, with Camille and Paris,” Rivers said Tuesday night. “I think we really got a chance to get into issues deeper than if we would if it was a more contentious race.
“I think we’re all anxious, I think we all know there’s something going on in the country, and I think a lot of people are concerned about climate change,” he added when asked why he believes his campaign resonated with voters. “I see it as an existential threat. We all want to feel that we can do something at the local level to address this issue.”
Miller-Foushee credited her opponents for their “undeniable” commitment to the Chapel Hill community and for “strengthening our democracy” by challenging her own campaign with their ideas. She said she looks forward to working alongside them on council to continue its recent efforts, which align with her priorities to improve affordability and sustainability.
“This victory is mandate to continue the critical work we’ve begun,” Miller-Foushee told Chapelboro. “The responsibility remains heavy, and we can see it in the need for more affordable housing so our workers can live here and in the urgency of climate action. But we have a clear path forward, and I think together we can really build on our progress, on smart resilient growth, deep affordability, and climate resilience – to help create a Chapel Hill where everyone can thrive. So, the work continues, and I’m thankful and ready to get back to work.”
Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson was also elected Tuesday night after filing to run unopposed in the summer. She will serve a two-year term and will be sworn in alongside Berry, McMahon, Miller-Foushee and Rivers during the Chapel Hill Town Council’s meeting this December.
For results from all local elections in Orange County, click here.
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