Six new faces for 13 local seats across Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and School Board races

[Joint release from The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro and the Carrboro Business Alliance]

Chapel Hill, NC: Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and its Board of Education welcome six new faces for the 13 local seats that were up for grabs in the 2019 municipal elections.

Meet the New Faces

During campaign season, through the (un)forum, we invited each candidate to “tell us about yourself and why you think you are prepared to serve if elected.” Watch the responses of the those elected to their first term: 

Amy Ryan Council Member-Elect Chapel Hill Town Council	Tai Huynh Council Member-Elect Chapel Hill Town Council	Susan S. Romaine Council Member-Elect Carrboro Town Council*
Jillian La Serna Board Member-Elect Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education	Deon Temne  Board Member-Elect Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education	Ashton Powell Board Member-Elect Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education

*Watch all responses to this question in the (un)forum, including from School Board incumbent Rani Dasi and all Hillsborough candidates.  

Election Results

• Chapel Hill: Congratulations Amy Ryan (4,418 votes/15%) and Tai Huynh (3,959/13%), who will join incumbents Mayor Pam Hemminger (7,086/89%), and Council Members Jessica (Jess) Anderson (5,451/18%) and Michael Parker (4,276/14%).
• Carrboro: Congratulations Susan S. Romaine (3,099/30%), who will join incumbents Mayor Lydia E. Lavelle (3,327/96%) and Council Members (formerly called Aldermen) Damon Seils (2,950/28%) and Sammy Slade (2,495/24%).
• Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board: Congratulations Jillian La Serna (8,534/23%), Deon Temne (6,529/18%), and Ashton Powell (5,107/14%) who will join incumbent and former Board Chair Rani Dasi (8,807/24%).

*Election totals were verified by phone with the Orange County Board of Elections Director, Rachel Raper on November 25, 2019.

*Carrboro Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a resolution to change their title to Carrboro Town Council on November 19, 2019, which will technically go into effect on December 3, 2019.

The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro partnered with the Carrboro Business Alliance on candidate surveys (Chapel Hill Survey and Carrboro Survey) and the five-question (un)forum 2019 to help members, friends, and the public get to know each candidate and their positions before going to the polls.

Positions on Business

During campaign season, through the (un)forum, we asked the Chapel Hill and Carrboro candidates to share “What three things they will do to make our community a great place to start and grow a business.” Watch their responses below:  

Pam Hemminger Chapel Hill Mayor Hemminger’s survey responses	Lydia E. Lavelle Carrboro Mayor Lavelle’s survey responses	Jessica (Jess) Anderson Chapel Hill Town Council Anderson’s survey responses
Amy Ryan Council Member-Elect Chapel Hill Town Council Ryan’s survey responses	Michael Parker Chapel Hill Town Council Parker’s survey responses	Tai Huynh Council Member-Elect Chapel Hill Town Council Huynh’s survey responses
Susan S. Romaine Council Member-Elect Carrboro Town Council Romaine's survey responses	Damon Seils Carrboro Town Council Seils' survey responses	Sammy Slade Carrboro Town Council Slade's survey responses

*Watch all responses to this question in the (un)forum, including those elected to serve Hillsborough. 

About the Election

The 2019 election was on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 and the votes were certified on Friday, November 15, 2019. A recount for one very close race (within 24 votes) verified challenger Tai Huynh – a UNC Senior Morehead-Cain scholar, first-generation American son of refugees – for the Chapel Hill Town Council on November 21, 2019.
 
Swearing in will unfold in December and the elected officials will begin their terms in January 2020. Running for office and serving is a significant time commitment. We appreciate and thank all candidates for their willingness to serve (see full list of all candidates). Visit The Chamber’s Election Hub to learn more about the candidates and stay informed on elections, and share the video playlist featuring all the newly-elected local officials.
 
Filing to run for the Orange County Board of Commissioners and Board of Education March 2020 Primary will open at noon on December 2, 2019.  

About The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro: The Chamber is a membership organization that serves and advances the business interests of Greater Chapel Hill, including the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro as well as southern Orange, northern Chatham, and southwest Durham counties. The Chamber's network is growing with nearly 1,000-member enterprises that employ more than 95,000 workers throughout the region. Together with its network, The Chamber is committed to building a sustainable community where business thrives. Members count on The Chamber to help them connect, promote, advocate, and save money.

Carrboro Business Alliance: The Carrboro Business Alliance, founded in 2014 on the shared belief that "local matters," is now 100 local businesses strong and collaborates to help Carrboro thrive. The alliance is governed by a volunteer Leadership Council and two committees (Policy and Marketing).

About the (un)forum: The (un)forum 2019 is a virtual candidate forum coordinated by The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro in partnership with six diverse organizations: Carrboro Business Alliance; Chapel Hill Alliance for a Livable Town (CHALT); Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce; Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange, and Chatham Counties; NEXT; and the Orange County Affordable Housing Coalition. Instead of a traditional, in-person candidate forum, we used a dynamic digital platform, called ShineBiG, to engage candidates in conversations, which were shared widely through our social networks. All candidates who filed for Chapel Hill Mayor or Town Council, Carrboro Mayor or Board of Aldermen, Hillsborough Mayor or Board of Commissioners, or Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education were invited to participate in the (un)forum and respond to up to five questions.

Contact: Katie Loovis, Vice President for External Affairs, The Chamber, 919-967-7075 (o), 919-696-0781 (m), KLoovis@carolinachamber.org