2022 General Election 

Review the North Carolina 2022 General Election results (NC State Board of Elections), and scroll down for a full summary of The Chamber's 2022 election engagement.

What: The North Carolina 2022 General Election, which is also known as the “midterm” as it is held two years (mid-way) into the four-year U.S. presidential term.

When: Election Day is Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Below are key dates for this election cycle:

• Oct. 20, 2022: One-stop, in-person early voting period begins
• Nov. 1, 2022: Deadline for civilians to submit an absentee ballot request form
• Nov. 5, 2022: One-stop, in-person early voting period ends at 3 p.m.
• Nov. 8, 2022: Election Day (6:30am-7:30pm) and civilian absentee ballot return deadline (5:00pm)

Who & What:

• Candidates on the ballot include contenders for the following races: one U.S. Senate seat, U.S. House seats, several state offices (General Assembly, Supreme Court, and Court of Appeals), local judges and prosecutors, County offices like sheriff and county commissioners. Scroll down for more information on Orange County candidates.
• Also, we encourage Durham County voters to read more about the Durham County General Obligation Bond Referendum, which includes $113 million to fuel Durham Tech - the community college that serves Durham and Orange Counties.
• Review you sample ballot through the NC Board of Election voter search tool.

Where & How: Visit the NC State Board of Elections for quick search engines to find your polling place (Election Day Polling Place Search). There are three ways to vote in North Carolina and in NC:

1. Vote by mail. There is no special circumstance or reason needed to vote by mail in NC, but you must have requested a ballot before the November 1, 2022 deadline.
2. Vote in-person during early voting. This was underway from October 20, 2022 - November 5, 2022 with multiple voting site options and times as well as same-day voter registration.
3. Vote in-person on Election Day, which is November 8, 2022.

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Meet the Candidates  

Overview: Federal, state, and county-level races are on the ballot. The Chamber is tracking 13 races with 19 candidates. Scroll down for a list of candidates who filed, links to many of their campaign webpages, and video messages from the candidates who participated in The Chamber's forum on 04/28/2022:

Federal

• U.S. Senate (1 seat, 4 candidates): Matthew Hoh (Gre), Cheri Beasley (Dem), Shannon W. Bray (Lib), or Ted Budd (Rep)
• U.S. House of Representatives (District 4, 1 seat, 2 candidates): Valerie P. Foushee (Dem) or Courtney Geels (Rep)

State

• *NC State Senate (District 23, 1 seat, 2 candidates): Graig R. Meyer (Dem) (watch), and Landon Woods (Rep) (watch)
• *NC House of Representatives (District 050, 1 seat, 2 candidates): Charles Lopez (Rep) or Renee Price (Dem) (watch)
• *NC House of Representatives (District 056, 1 seat, 1 candidate): Allen Buansi (Dem) (watch) (already appointed)
• *District Attorney (District 18, 1 seat, 1 candidate): Jeff Nieman (Dem) (watch)

Local

• *Orange County Board of Commissioners (4 seats, 4 candidates): Sally Greene (At-Large; watch), Jamezetta R. Bedford (District 1, watch), Anna Richards (District 1, unexpired, watch), and Earl McKee (District 2)
• *Orange County Clerk of Court (1 seat, 1 candidate): Mark Kleinschmidt (watch)
• *Orange County Sheriff (1 seat, 1 candidate): Charles Blackwood (watch)
• *Orange County Register of Deeds (1 seat, 1 candidate): Mark H. Chilton (watch)

*Indicates the races for which candidates were invited to participate in The Candidates and Elected Official Forum, which was on Thursday, April 28, 2022. The video links are to the candidates introductory messages during the forum.

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More Information  

The Chamber: The Chamber engages in Primary and General Elections to ensure Chamber members and friends have the information they need about the candidates and the process before they cast their votes. The Chamber: 1) annually activates the Election Hub, which is a one-stop shop to share timely election information, 2) often conducts candidate surveys to reveal candidate positions on issues that matter to the local business community, and 3) The Chamber annually hosts The Candidates and Elected Officials Forum as part of the Critical Issues Series. In addition, from 2017-2020, The Chamber coordinated the (un)forum to share candidate videos and connect candidates with Chamber members. Past candidate surveys: Orange County Commissioners 2020, 2018; Chapel Hill Town Council 2021, 2019; 2017; and Carrboro Town Council 2021, 2019, and 2017. Past (un)forums: 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017.

2022 Primary Election Results: The statewide Primary Election was on May 17, 2022. Scroll down to review the races The Chamber tracked. You may also review the election results, The Chamber's primary election day announcement, and the Chapelboro.com coverage of the local races. The following is the Chamber statement after the 2022 Primary Election: "We would like to extend our hearty congratulations to the primary election winners and share our appreciation of everyone who campaigned to serve our community. It takes a great deal of time, money, and heart to run for office, and we sincerely appreciate and admire your willingness to serve," said Katie Loovis, Vice President for External Affairs, The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro.

Contact: For questions about the Chamber's election activation, contact Chamber Vice President for External Affairs, Katie Loovis. For additional election information, contact your County Board of Elections (Orange County, Chatham County, and Durham County) and/or the NC State Board of Elections.

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2022 Primary Election   

Overview: Federal, state, and county-level primary races unfolded in May 2022. The Chamber tracked 11 races with 39 candidates. Review The Chamber's primary election day announcement about the races and candidates and scroll down for a list of candidates who filed and links to many of their campaign webpages.

Federal

• U.S. House of Representatives (District 4, 1 seat, 10 candidates): Clay Aiken, Nida Allam, Crystal Cavalier, Valerie P. Foushee, Courtney Geels, Matt Grooms, Robert Thomas, Stephen J. Valentine, Ashley Ward, and Richard L. Watkins

State

• *NC State Senate (District 23, 1 seat, 4 candidates): Bill Cooke, Jamie DeMent Holcomb (watch), Graig R. Meyer (watch), and Landon Woods (watch)
• *NC House of Representatives (District 050, 1 seat, 3 candidates): Matt Hughes (watch), Charles Lopez, and Renee Price (watch)
• *NC House of Representatives (District 056, 1 seat, 2 candidates): Allen Buansi (watch) and Jonah Garson (watch)
• *District Attorney (District 18, 1 seat, 2 candidates): Jeff Nieman (watch) and Kayley Taber (watch)

Local

• *Orange County Board of Commissioners (4 seats, 4 candidates): Sally Greene (At-Large; watch), Jamezetta R. Bedford (District 1, watch), Anna Richards (District 1, unexpired, watch), and Earl McKee (District 2)
• Orange County Board of Education (3 seats, 8 candidates): Penny Carter King, Bethni Lee, Garen McClure, Anne Purcell, Andre Richmond, Sarah Smylie, Ashley Wheeler, and Will Atherton
• *Orange County Clerk of Court (1 seat, 1 candidate): Mark Kleinschmidt (watch)
• *Orange County Sheriff (1 seat, 1 candidate): Charles Blackwood (watch)
• *Orange County Register of Deeds (1 seat, 2 candidates): Mark H. Chilton (watch) and Penny Rich (watch)
• *Carrboro Town Council (special election, 1 seat, 2 candidates): Aja Kelleher (watch) and Eliazar Posada (watch)

*Indicates the races for which candidates were invited to participate in The Candidates and Elected Official Forum, which was on Thursday, April 28, 2022. The video links are to the candidates introductory messages during the forum.

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About the Statewide Primary Election 

What: Primary Elections are often punctuated with little interest and low turnout, but in Orange County, NC, where many more Democrats are registered than Republicans, the winner of the spring Primary Election almost always wins the General Election in November for local offices. Primaries matter in Orange County. Learn more about the upcoming Primary Election.

When: The 2022 statewide Primary Election Day was Tuesday, May 17, 2022. One-stop, in-person early voting, which includes same day voter registration, began on Thursday, April 28, 2022 and concluded on Saturday, May 14, 2022.

Who: Review you sample ballot through the NC Board of Election voter search tool and scroll down for more information on the candidates.

Where: Visit the NC State Board of Elections for quick search engines to find your polling place (Election Day Polling Place Search). Also, Orange County residents may access this resource for Orange County One Stop Early Voting locations, dates, and times.

How: There are three ways to vote in North Carolina: 1) by mail and the there is no special circumstance or reason needed to vote by mail in NC (but you must have requested a ballot before the May 10, 2022 deadline); 2) in-person early voting (which was underway from April 28, 2022 - May 14, 2022 with multiple site options and times and same-day voter registration); and 3) in-person on Election Day, which is May 17, 2022. To vote in North Carolina, one must register. Registering to vote in NC is easy and can be done: 1) online through the DMV, 2) by mail, or 3) in-person at early voting sites.

Redistricting: After ever decennial census, the NC General Assembly is required by law to draw the districts from which public officials are elected and do so in a manner that adjusts for population change and maintains equal representation, i.e., redistricting. Due to legal challenges, the NC 2022 Primary Election was postponed from March to May, 2022. Review the redistricting timeline, court rulings, and maps.

The Chamber Election Engagement: The Chamber engages in primary and general elections to ensure Chamber members and friends have the information they need about the candidates and the process before they cast their votes. Annually, The Chamber: 1) activates the Election Hub, which is a one-stop shop to share timely election information, 2) conducts candidate surveys to reveal candidate positions on issues that matter to the local business community, and 3) hosts The Candidates and Elected Officials Forum as part of the Critical Issues Series. In addition, from 2017-2020, The Chamber coordinated the (un)forum to share candidate videos and connect candidates with Chamber members. Past candidate surveys: Orange County Commissioners 2020, 2018; Chapel Hill Town Council 2021, 2019; 2017; and Carrboro Town Council 2021, 2019, and 2017. Past (un)forums: 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017.

Contact: For questions about the Chamber's election activation, contact Chamber Vice President for External Affairs, Katie Loovis. For additional election information, contact your County Board of Elections (Orange County, Chatham County, and Durham County) and/or the NC State Board of Elections.

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2021 General Election Outcomes

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The Chamber congratulates the new and re-elected Mayors (2021-2023) and Town Council Members (2021-2025):

• Carrboro Mayor Damon Seils and Town Council Members Barbara Foushee, Randee Haven-O'Donnell, and Daniel Nowell
• Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger and Town Council Members Camille Berry, Paris Miller-Foushee, Adam Searing, and Karen Stegman

Learn more about the new and re-elected Mayors and Town Council Members' positions through their responses on the Chapel Hill Candidate Survey and the Carrboro Candidate Survey, and review The Chamber's congratulatory announcement.

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Chamber 2021 General Election Engagement

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Who is on your Ballot

What: 2021 local races are underway for Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough Mayor and Town Council/Commission as well as Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education.

Who: There are seven local races and 28 candidates vying for 15 seats. Scroll down to view the full list of candidates and their websites, social media, and contact information.

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Candidate Survey Responses

Responses: The Chamber and Carrboro Business Alliance (CBA) designed Yes, No, or Unsure survey instruments. Review candidate survey responses:

• Chapel Hill Candidate Survey Responses | Carrboro Candidate Survey Responses.

Amplification: The Chamber and CBA are partnering with Chapelboro.com and the Daily Tar Heel, the former is featuring surveys on a new Chapelboro.com election page and the latter is running full page adds: Chapel Hill candidate responses, DTH, Oct 20, 2021 edition, p. 16 and the Carrboro candidate responses, DTH, Oct 28, 2021 edition, p.16.

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Where and When to Vote

When: Election Day is Tuesday, November 2, 2021. Review the official schedule from the  Orange County Board of Elections.

Where: Visit vote.org for a quick and easy way to find your polling place.

More on where, when, and how to vote: There are three ways to vote in North Carolina: 1) by mail and the there is no special circumstance or reason needed to vote by mail in NC (but you must have requested a ballot before the Oct 26, 2021 deadline); 2) in-person early voting (which was underway Oct 14 - Oct 30, 2021 with multiple site options and times and same-day voter registration); and 3) in-person on Election Day, which is Nov 2. To vote in North Carolina, one must register. Registering to vote in NC is easy and can be done: 1) online through the DMV, 2) by mail, or 3) in-person at early voting sites with proof of residency.

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Learn More 

About: The Chamber engages in the Primary and General Elections to ensure Chamber members and friends have the information they need about the candidates and the process before they go to the polls. Annually, The Chamber: 1) activates the Election Hub to share timely information and 2) conducts candidate surveys to reveal candidate positions on issues that matter to the local business community. In addition, from 2017-2020, The Chamber coordinated the (un)forum to share candidate videos and connect candidates with Chamber members and hosted candidate and elected official event(s).

Contacts: For questions about the Chamber's election activation, contact Chamber Vice President of External Affairs, Katie Loovis. For additional election information, contact your County Board of Elections (Orange County, Chatham County, and Durham County) and/or the NC State Board of Elections.

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2021 Candidates

Carrboro

Carrboro Mayor

(1 seat/2 candidates filed)

• • Michael Benson (facebook | email)
  • Damon Seils (twitter | facebook | email)

Carrboro Town Council

(3 seats/5 candidates filed)

• • Barbara Foushee (*incumbent | twitter | facebook | instagram | email)
  • Jacquelyn Gist (*incumbent | facebook | email)
  • Randee Haven-O'Donnell (*incumbent | twitter | facebook | email)
  • Aja Kelleher (facebook | email)
  • Daniel Nowell (twitter | facebook | instagram | email)

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Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill Mayor

(1 seats/3 candidates filed)

• • Zachary Boyce (email)
  • Hongbin Gu (twitter | facebook | email)
  • Pam Hemminger (*incumbent | facebook | twitter | instagram | email)

Chapel Hill Town Council

(4 seats/8 candidates filed)

• • Robert Beasley (facebook | email)
  • Camille Berry (twitter | facebook | instagram | email)
  • Andrew Creech (email)
  • Jeffrey Hoagland (email)
  • Paris Miller-Foushee (email)
  • Vimala Rajendran (twitter | facebook | instagram | email)
  • Adam Searing (facebook | email)
  • Karen Stegman (*incumbent | twitter | facebook | instagram | email)

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Hillsborough

Hillsborough Mayor

(1 seat/1 candidate filed)

• • Jennifer Weaver (*incumbent | facebook | email)

Hillsborough Board of Commissioners

(2 seats/3 candidates filed)

• • Robert English (*incumbent, appointed | email)
  • Kathleen Ferguson (*incumbent | facebook | email)
  • Anna Linvill (email)

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Board of Education

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board

(3 seats/6 candidates filed)

• • George Griffin
  • Ryan Jackson (email)
  • Riza Jenkins (email)
  • Meredith Pruitt (email)
  • Michael Sharp (email)
  • Timothy Sookram (email)

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2020 General Election

Voters in Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro had dozens of candidates for federal, state, and county races on their ballots in the 2020 Elections. The Chamber activated to ensure members and friends had the information they need about the candidates and the process before they go to the polls, and shared answers to the following common questions.

Common Questions

1) How do I Vote?  There are three ways to vote:

• Absentee: NC has a vote by mail process, called absentee voting. No special circumstance or reason is needed to vote by mail in NC, but you must request your absentee ballot before Oct 27.
• Early: NC offers in-person Early Voting from Oct 15 to Oct 31 with several site options and times. Same-Day Voter Registration is available during the Early Voting period at all Early Voting sites.
• Election Day: NC voters may vote in-person on Election Day (Tuesday, Nov 3, 2020) at their assigned polling place.

2) Who is on my ballot?  There are dozens of candidates for federal, state, and county races on your ballot this election.  Access your sample ballot.

3) How do I quickly learn about each candidate? 

• Watch videos and read responses from candidates across nearly every race through Vote411.org, an extremely helpful, non-partisan resource provided by the League of Women Voters.
• Dive deeper with candidates for Orange County Commissioner. Review their responses to The Chamber's candidate survey, which gauges their position on twelve matters that matter to the local business community, and click their names (below) to watch their quick videos explaining what they will do to make Orange County a great place to start and grow a business: Mark Dorosin | Amy Fowler | Jean Hamilton | Renee Price

4) How do I Register to Vote?  Registering to vote is easy and can be done: 1) online through the DMV, 2) by mail, or 3) in-person at Early Voting sites with proof of residency. *Note: If would like to vote in the 2020 General Election and are not yet registered, then the remaining option is to register in-person using same-day registration in your county during early voting (Oct 15-31, 2020) (source).

5) Who do I contact if I have more questions?  For additional information, contact your County Board of Elections (Orange County, Chatham County, and Durham County) or the NC State Board of Elections.  You may also contact Chamber Vice President for External Affairs, Katie Loovis, at kloovis@carolinachamber.org.

 

2020 Primary Elections 

What: Primary elections are a process in the Spring for voters to indicate their preference for a party's candidate in the Fall general election. Primaries are often punctuated with little interest and low turnout, but in Orange County (NC), where many more Democrats are registered than Republicans, the winner of the spring primary almost always wins the general election.

When & Where: The 2020 Primary Election was on March 3, 2020 and early in-person voting began Feb 13, 2020. To find out where and when to vote in-person, simply type your address into this search engine (determines your polling place based on your precinct).

Who: See the list of candidates who filed to run for office in Orange, Chatham, and Durham Counties. There are several seats in-play, including:

• (County) Board of County Commissioners in Orange (4 seats), Chatham (2 seats), and Durham (5 seats) Counties, and Orange County Schools Board of Education (3 seats)
• (District) NC District Court Judge District 15B (4 seats)
• (State) NC General Assembly, Governor, NC Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, and many more
• (Federal) US Congress and President

Meet the Candidates: The Chamber offered several ways to get to know the candidates on your ballot:

• In-person events: The Chamber hosted Eggs with Elected Officials + Candidates on Feb 14, and the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce hosted "Face Time with Your Candidates" on Feb 26.
• Via video: Tune into the (un)forum 2020 to watch candidates share what they will do to make our community a great place to start and grow a business
• In writing: Review candidate survey responses to questions on matters that matter to the local business community.

More: The following are helpful links to better navigate the election process:

• Discover answers to common questions and register to vote (vote.org).
• Visit the Orange County Board of Elections, Chatham County Board of Elections, and Durham County Board of Elections, and the NC State Board of Elections for more information.
• Contact Chamber Vice President for External Affairs, Katie Loovis, at (919) 967-7075 (office), (919) 696-0781 (cell), or kloovis@carolinachamber.org.

• What: 2019 Elections - Review 2019 Election Results
• When: Election Day was Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019; early, in-person voting began Wednesday, Oct. 16th (review the 2019 election calendar)
• Who: The Chamber tracked the following races, which had 27 candidates running for 17 seats (see who filed to run):
  • Chapel Hill Mayor (1 seat; 2 candidates; Incumbent Hemminger)
  • Chapel Hill Town Council (4 seats; 7 candidates; Incumbents Anderson, Oates, and Parker)
  • Carrboro Mayor (1 seat; 1 candidate; Incumbent Lavelle)
  • Carrboro Board of Aldermen (3 seats; 6 candidates; Incumbents Seils and Slade) (*Note - Candidate Neal withdrew)
  • Hillsborough Mayor (1 seat; 1 candidate; Incumbent Weaver)
  • Hillsborough Board of Commissioners (3 seats; 4 candidates; Incumbents Bell, Hughes, and Lloyd)
  • Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education (4 seats; 6 candidates; Incumbent Dasi (*Note - Candidate Huerta-Bapat and Tortora withdrew)
• How: Three ways Chamber members and friends engaged with the candidates on their ballot
  • (Survey) Reviewed the candidates' survey responses (Chapel Hill and Carrboro)
  • (Videos) Watched the candidates' video responses to our questions through the (un)forum 2019
  • (Event) Attended Coffee with the Candidates on Wednesday, Sept. 4th from 8am-10am at The Siena Hotel (Sold Out)
• ​More: The following are carefully-curated links which ensured Chamber members and friends were registered to vote, knew where and when to go to the polls, and were able to access timely election information: 
  • Find out where and when to vote. Type your address into this search engine to find your polling place based on your precinct.
  • Discover answers to common questions and register to vote (vote.org).
  • Learn more about Orange County Elections and Chatham County Elections, including candidate filings, sample ballots, and polling locations.
• Contact: For questions, contact The Chamber Vice President for External Affairs, Katie Loovis, at (919) 696-0781 (cell) or kloovis@carolinachamber.org.

VIEW RESULTS FROM THE 2018 GENERAL ELECTION

What: This Election Hub served as your one-stop-shop for the 2018 elections. Scroll down for five important resources provided to demystify the election process and help Chamber members and employees know who and what was on their ballots.

When: Election Day was Tuesday, Nov 6, 2018. Early Voting began Oct 17, 2018.

Who: The Chamber tracked the following races:

• County Races - Board of County Commissioners (Orange and Chatham Counties)
• State Races - NC General Assembly (House Districts 50, 54, and 56, and Senate District 23)
• Federal Races - US House of Representatives (Congressional Districts 04 and 06)
• Other Local Races - Clerk of Superior Court, Register of Deeds, and Sheriff

Contact: For questions, contact Katie Loovis, Vice President for External Affairs, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, cell: (919) 696-0781 or kloovis@carolinachamber.org.

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Top Five Resources for the 2018 General Election: 

1. Know who and what is on your ballot. Scroll down to see the latest state-of-play on who is running for each relevant office (local, state, and federal races), click through the hyperlinks to access each candidates' website, and review the simple summary of the six constitutional amendments.
2. Meet the candidates. Click here to enter the nation's first (un)forum - the Chamber's signature, virtual candidate forum. We use shineBIG video technology to conveniently connect you with candidates. Watch their short videos and communicate with them now through social media!
3. Compare the candidates. Review Orange and Chatham County Commissioner Candidate responses to short yes or no survey questions and identify which candidates are most aligned with your values and priorities. Orange County | Chatham County
4. Consider Chamber endorsements. Vote YES on the Chapel Hill Affordable Housing Bond Referendum. The Chamber's Board of Directors voted unanimously to endorse the bond, which will authorize the Town of Chapel Hill to raise $10 million in general obligation bonds for affordable housing. Scroll down to learn more.
5. Find out where and when to vote. The following are carefully-curated links to ensure you are registered to vote, know where and when to go to the polls, and access timely election information:

• Type your address into this search engine to find your polling place based on your precinct
• Learn more about Orange County Elections and Chatham County Elections, including candidate filings, sample ballots, and polling locations.
• Read about the Proposed Constitutional Amendments.

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State of Play on the 2018 General Election:

Federal Races: 

• US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 04
  • Incumbent US Rep David Price (Dem) won his primary with 51,989 votes (77%; bested Michelle Laws and Richard Watkins) and is now up against Barbara Howe (Lib) and Steve A. (Von) Loor (Rep)
• US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 06
  • Incumbent US Rep Mark Walker (Rep) was unopposed in the primary and is now up against Ryan Watts (Dem)

• NC STATE SENATE DISTRICT 23
  • Incumbent NC Senator Valerie P. Foushee (Dem) ran unopposed in the primary and is now up against Tom Glendinning (Rep)
• NC HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 054
  • Incumbent NC Rep Robert T. Reives II (Dem) ran unopposed in the primary and is now up against Jay Stobbs (Rep)
• NC HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 050
  • Incumbent NC Rep Graig R. Meyer (Dem) ran unopposed in the primary and is now up against Kenneth Price Rothrock (Rep)
• NC HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 056
  • Incumbent NC Rep Verla C. Insko (Dem) ran unopposed in the primary and is now up against Matthew P. Clements (Lib) and Marcus Cooke (Rep)

• ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AT-LARGE
  • Sally Greene (Dem) won the primary with 11,168 votes (61%; bested Brian Crawford and Noah Oswald) and is now unopposed in the general election.
• ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 1
  • Jamezetta Bedford (Dem) ran unopposed in the primary and is now unopposed in the general election.
• ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 2
  • Earl McKee (Dem) won the primary with 5,844 votes (81%; bested Tommy McNeill) and is now unopposed in the general election.
• CHATHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 3
  • Incumbent Diana Hales (Dem) is up against Brian Bock (Rep)
• CHATHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 4
  • Incumbent Jim Crawford (Dem) is up against Neill Lindley (Rep)
• CHATHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 5
  • Incumbent Walter Petty (Rep) is running unopposed in the general election

State of Play on the 2018 General Election Ballot

Chapel Hill Affordable Housing Bond Referendum: 

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2018 PRIMARY ELECTIONS 

Primaries: Primary elections are often punctuated with little interest and low turnout. But in Orange County, NC, where many more Democrats are registered than Republicans, the winner of the May primary almost always wins the general election in November.

Bottom line: Primaries matter in Orange County. Since local leadership is often determined in the May primary, Chamber members asked us to, once again, ramp-up our primary engagement. We did several things to ensure our members knew what offices were up for grabs and how candidates aligned with positions that mattered to our business community.

1. Generated survey responses on a dozen business-related questions from the candidates for Orange County Board of Commissioners
2. Coordinated 2nd annual (un)forum, which featured shorts video responses from candidates for all relevant offices
3. Hosted "Eggs with Elected Officials + Candidates" (view pictures)
4. Provided more information and resources, and encouraged members to get out and vote

Races: The following are the races we tracked:

Orange County: 

State:

• NC Senate - District 23 (1 seat; 2 candidates; Incumbent Senator Foushee)
• NC House - District 50 (1 seat; 2 candidates; Incumbent Rep. Meyer)
• NC House - District 56 (1 seat; 3 candidates; Incumbent Rep. Insko)

Results: Congratulations to newly-elected town officials:

(Top left to right: Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger; Chapel Hill Town Council Members: Allen Buansi, Hongbin Gu, Rachel Schaevitz, and Karen Stegman; Bottom left to right: Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle; Carrboro Board of Aldermen: Barbara Foushee, Jacquelyn Gist, Randee Haven O'Donnell, and Sammy Slade)

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Get to know the newly-elected officials: 

• Watch 90-second video responses and consider their ideas for making our community a great place to start and grow a business.
  • Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger
  • Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle
  • Chapel Hill Town Council: Allen Buansi, Hongbin Gu, Rachel Schaevitz, and Karen Stegman
  • Carrboro Board of Aldermen: Barbara Foushee, Jacquelyn Gist, Randee Haven O'Donnell, and Sammy Slade
• Review their survey responses to see if/how they committed to address issues that matter to your business.

Chapel Hill	Carrboro

Summary of Chamber's 2017 Election Activation

For better or worse, elections have consequences. To ensure our members are connected, informed, and engaged during the election cycle and beyond, we offered the following:

• (un)forum: New in 2017, instead of a traditional candidate forum that requires you to be in a certain place at a certain time, we launched an online forum using a new digital platform that allows us to engage candidates in dynamic conversations. The (un)forum is an e-civic initiative of the Chamber, the Orange-Chatham Group of the Sierra Club, and the Orange County Affordable Housing Coalition.
• Survey: Each election cycle, the Chamber designs and administers a candidate survey to ensure our members are well-informed on candidate positions on critical issues.  Review  the Chapel Hill and Carrboro candidate responses.
• Early voting: Reminder, early voting began October 19th.  Find your polling location through the NC State Board of Elections one-stop site and review voting information from the Orange County Board of Elections.
• ​Cocktails with Candidates: On Oct 17th, the Chapel Hill Young Professionals (CHYP) hosted a happy hour at The Franklin Hotel to mingle with peers and local candidates.
• Coffee with the Candidates: In August, the Chamber hosted candidates for tabletop coffee conversations with our membership.

In the 2016 election cycle, the Chamber:

• Endorsed the Connect NC Bond Referendum: At its December 2015 board meeting, the Chamber’s Board of Directors endorsed the $2 billion Connect NC bond referendum.  The Chamber also hosted UNC and UNC Health Care staff to discuss the importance of the bond referendum to UNC-Chapel Hill.  Learn more info at carolinabond.unc.edu and pledge to “vote yes to invest” at voteyestoinvest.com.
• Hosted Coffee with the Candidates: At the February meeting of the Economic Development & Public Policy (EDPP) Committee, the Chamber hosted both candidates for the North Carolina General Assembly and the Orange County Board of Commissioners, in addition to nonpartisan judicial candidates.  See a full list of candidates who have filed for office in Orange County here.
• Hosted Cocktails with the Candidates: At the February meeting of the Chapel Hill Young Professionals (CHYP), the Chamber hosted candidates for the Orange County Board of Commissioners and nonpartisan judicial candidates.  See photos from Cocktails with Candidates at the Chamber’s Flickr account.
• Endorsed both bond referendums on Orange County ballots, one bond for $120 million for capital needs Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Orange County Schools and one bond for $5 million for affordable housing.
• Also, the Regional Transportation Alliance (RTA), of which our chamber is a founding member, endorsed the Wake Transit Referendum.  All three counties – Orange, Durham, and Wake – have approved a half-cent sales tax to support transit.  Read more about RTA’s focus on transit.