(Gallery) Triangle Area Local Elections Results 2021; O’Neal Election Night Party Highlights

Local governments across the nation held elections yesterday (Nov. 2). This includes the municipalities of North Carolina’s Triangle area. The results are as follows:

Elaine O’Neal is the doyenne of Durham, walking home with an electoral bounty of 25,607 votes, an 84.69% victory. Competitor Javiera Caballero suspended her campaign shortly after the Oct. 5 primary. When O’Neal assumes office in December, she will be the first Black woman in history to serve as the city’s mayor. (Scroll down for O’Neal’s Election Night Party highlights)

Incumbent city councilors DeDreana Freeman (Ward I) and Mark-Anthony Middleton (Ward II) both managed to ward off their challengers, and newcomer Leonardo Williams won the Ward III seat in a particularly tight race against AJ Williams (no relation).

Two cities in the Triangle Area held no elections for 2021. The city of Raleigh saw no election this year, theirs was delayed until November 8, 2022. Across the Tom Bradshaw Freeway, the town of Cary also postponed its contests until 2022. Elsewhere in the metro area, Sanford, Siler City, and Smithfield have also pushed back their elections.

CHATHAM COUNTY

Goldston: Jonathan Hensley elected mayor; Banks Burke, Wayne Woody, Lynn Gaines elected commissioners

Pittsboro: Cindy Perry elected mayor; Pamela Baldwin, James Vose elected commissioners

Sanitary Board: Hayden Burke, Adam Pickett elected members

FRANKLIN COUNTY

Bunn: Marsha Strawbridge elected mayor; Don Mitchell, Sherry Mercer elected commissioners

Franklinton: LaTasha Wilder, Alvin Holden, John Allers elected commissioners

Louisburg: Christopher Neal elected mayor; Betty Keith Wright, Tom Clancy, Silke Stein elected councilors

Youngsville: Fonzie Flowers elected mayor; Corey Pursche, Larry Wiggins, Cat Redd elected commissioners

GRANVILLE COUNTY

Butner: Terry Turner elected mayor; Michel Branch, Judy Cheek, Thomas Lane elected councilors

Creedmoor: Bobby Wheeler elected mayor; Robert Way, Emma Albright elected commissioners

Oxford: Jackie Sergent elected mayor; S. Quon Bridges, Patricia Fields, Bryan Cohn, B. Seth Lumpkins elected commissioners

Stem: Casey Dover elected mayor; Susan Cope, Kevin Easter, Frank Shelton elected commissioners

Stovall: Mike Williford elected mayor; Carl Roberts, Douglas Lunsford elected commissioners

JOHNSTON COUNTY

Archer Lodge: Teresa Bruton, Mark Wilson elected councilors

Benson: Jerry Medlin elected mayor; Maxine Holley elected commissioner

Clayton: Porter Casey, Andria Archer, Michael Sims elected councilors

Four Oaks: Vic Medlin elected mayor; John Hatch, Mike Hines elected commissioners

Kenly: H.L. Hales elected mayor; Mark Smith, Trinity Henderson elected councilors

Micro: Walter Warren elected mayor; Russell Creech, Kevin Worley, Marty Parnell elected commissioners

Pine Level: Jeff Holt elected mayor; Greg Baker, Phil Pittman, William Radford, Jimmy Garner elected commissioners

Princeton: Donald Rains elected mayor; Broderick Robinson, Michael Holmes elected commissioners

Selma: Byron McAllister elected mayor; Bruce McKay, Amy Whitley elected councilors

Wilsons Mills: Fleta Byrd elected  mayor; Tim Brown, Randy Jernigan, David McGowan elected councilors

ORANGE COUNTY

Carrboro: Damon Seils elected mayor; Barbara Foushee, Danny Nowell, Randee Haven-O’Donnell elected councilors

Chapel Hill: Pam Hemminger elected mayor; Karen Stegman, Camille Berry, Paris Miller-Foushee, Adam Searing elected councilors

Hillsborough: Jennifer Weaver elected Hillsborough mayor, Kathleen Ferguson, Robb English elected Hillsborough commissioners

Mebane: Montreena Hadley, Tim Bradley, Katie Burkholder elected councilors

Chapel Hill–Carrboro City Schools: Riza Jenkins, George Griffin, Mike Sharp elected board members

WAKE COUNTY

Angier: Loru Boyer Hawley, Jim Kazakavage, Junior Price elected commissioners

Apex: Brett Gantt, Ed Gray, Audra Killingsworth elected councilors; yes wins street bonds

Fuquay-Varina: Blake Massengill elected  mayor; Tracy Watson, Bryan Haynes elected commissioners; yes wins parks, transportation bonds

Garner: Kathy Behringer, Gra Singleton elected councilors; yes wins street, parks, public safety, stormwater bonds

Holly Springs: Sean Mayefskie elected mayor; Dan Berry, Timothy Forrest, Kristi Bennett elected councilors

Knightdale: Jessica Day elected mayor; Steve Evans, Latatious Morris, Mark Swan elected councilors

Morrisville: T.J. Cawley elected mayor; Steve Rao, Donna Fender, Vicki Scroggins-Johnson elected councilors; yes wins public safety, parks, streets bonds

Rolesville: April Sneed, Dan Alston, Paul Vilga elected commissioners

Wake Forest: Vivian Jones elected mayor; R. Keith Shackleford, Nick Sliwinski elected commissioners

Wendell: Jon Lutz, Deans Eatman, Jason Joyner elected commissioners

Zebulon: Glenn York elected mayor; Quentin Miles, Beverly Clark elected commissioners

Durham is the largest city in North Carolina that did not reschedule its elections to 2022 – Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro all did so. Several municipalities in North Carolina, including Raleigh, have moved all future elections to even-numbered years. The National Civic League, a group advocating political engagement, recommends moving local elections to even years in order to boost voter turnout.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) estimates a 16.05% voter turnout for this round of elections. This is a slight decrease from the 16.29% turnout of 2019 and the 16.82% turnout of 2017.

Other Nov. 2 elections in North Carolina outside of the Triangle area can be found here. Results for all Nov. 2 elections can be found here.

O’Neal’s Election Night Party highlights (Photos: Chantille Williams):