During this local election season, 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro spoke with candidates for races representing Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough and Pittsboro — a series of conversations comprising our Candidate Introductions.
Each answered the same set of questions regarding their decision to run for elected office, their thoughts on pressing community issues and what they wish for residents to think of when voting this fall. Their answers (lightly edited for clarity and brevity) are shared here, as well as links to their respective campaign websites or pages.
If a candidate did not respond or chose not to speak with 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro, it will be designated with no audio. The order of candidates below is in the alphabetical order of their last names. The order candidates appear on the ballot in the 2026 election has been determined randomly, by the State Board of Elections. For more information on that process, click here.
North Carolina District 9 for the U.S. House covers a lot of ground. The district, which was drawn in its current form in 2025, stretches from as far north as the limits of Greensboro to Fayetteville in the south. It covers much of rural Chatham County, alongside parts of Alamance, Guilford, Hoke, Cumberland, Randolph and Moore counties.
The incumbent, Republican Rep. Richard Hudson, is one of the party’s top elected officials after holding office since 2013. This cycle, he faces a challenge from a new face in North Carolina politics: Richard Ojeda, a retired U.S. Army major who served at Fort Bragg and previously held office in West Virginia as a state senator. Ojeda won a Democratic primary in March that drew several contenders, while Hudson ran unopposed.
97.9 The Hill spoke with the candidates, asking these questions that are reflected in the recorded responses:
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At this moment, what is inspiring you to run for office?
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What are the top three issues your campaign is built on?
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During this general election cycle, what have you heard most consistently from voters and might shape what you try to accomplish in Congress?
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For several years, there’s been a sentiment from voters that they want change at the federal government level. What would “change” in Congress and around the federal government look like to you?
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When voters see your name on the ballot, what do you want them to think of?
U.S. House – North Carolina District 9
Richard Hudson (R)
(Photo via Richard Hudson for Congress)
Hudson did not participate in 97.9 The Hill’s questionnaire.
Richard N. Ojeda II (D)
(Photo via Ojeda for NC)
Early voting in Chatham County and across North Carolina for the 2026 general election runs from Thursday, Oct. 15 to Saturday, Oct. 31, offering an additional opportunity to register to vote for anyone who misses the Oct. 9 deadline. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.
The full 2026 Election Schedule, published by the Board of Elections, can be found here.
More of the 2026 Candidate Introductions for local elections can be found on Chapelboro’s Local Elections page as they are published.
Featured photo by Dakota Moyer/Chapel Hill Media Group.
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