Five people are seeking four seats on the Board of Aldermen, including three incumbents—Jacquelyn Gist, Sammy Slade, and Randee Haven-O’Donnell. We don’t see a need to replace any of them. They’re all progressive and well-versed in the issues. For the vacant spot, we endorse Barbara Foushee, a senior technologist in a molecular oncology lab who […]
The INDY Editorial Board
The INDY Endorses Tom Stevens for Hillsborough Mayor
This one’s pretty simple: Tom Stevens has been mayor for twelve years. Throughout his tenure, Hillsborough has largely prospered, maintaining strong finances, investing in affordable housing, and focusing on local businesses. His opponent, Cindy Talisman, has no relevant political experience and campaigned for office two years ago with Confederate monument preservation at the heart of […]
The INDY Endorses James Barrett, Joal Hall Broun, Mary Ann Wolf, and Amy Fowler for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
Seven candidates are seeking four spots on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education. Seeing as how everyone running seems to think things are moving in the right direction, we see no reason to displace the two incumbents seeking reelection, James Barrett and Joal Hall Broun. As for the two open seats, we’re backing […]
What’s That, You Say? You Just Voted? Another Election Starts Thursday.
Just last week, voters in Raleigh, Cary, and Durham voted in municipal elections. In Cary and most of Raleigh, everything was settled: with Bonner Gaylord and Stacy Miller declining a runoff, the Raleigh City Council is setand will likely be a little less developer-friendly than the current set. But on Sunday, mayoral challenger Charles Francis […]
The INDY Endorses Lydia Lavelle for Carrboro Mayor
Lydia Lavelle, a law professor at N.C. Central, is seeking her third term as mayor, having served in that capacity since 2014 and on the Board of Aldermen for six years before that. Under her leadership, the board has pushed back against regressive state policies to show support for immigrants and the LGBTQ community and […]
The INDY Endorses Pam Hemminger for Chapel Hill Mayor
Pam Hemminger, who defeated incumbent Mark Kleinschmidt two years ago, is going to be reelected. After all, her only competition is a write-in candidate. Hemminger, the former chairwoman of the Carrboro-Chapel Hill City Schools Board of Education and vice chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Commissioners, is running unopposed for a good reason: her […]
In Durham’s Ward 2, the INDY Endorses Mark-Anthony Middleton for City Council
In Ward 2, pastor and activist Mark-Anthony Middleton will face off against engineer John Rooks Jr., who scored something of a coup by snatching the People’s Alliance endorsement. The two candidates espouse similar goals: addressing inequity and affordable housing, for starters. But Rooks loses us when he starts talking about a moratorium on downtown development, […]
In the Runoff, the INDY Endorses Nancy McFarlane for Raleigh Mayor
Mayor: Nancy McFarlane After some suspense, Charles Francis announced Sunday that he would seek a runoff against three-term incumbent Nancy McFarlane. “The results did not produce a decisive outcome,” he told reporters. (True, as McFarlane got 48.5 percent of the vote, not 50 percent plus one.) “A runoff election is not divisive,” he continued, “it’s […]
The INDY Endorses Ed Harrison, Hongbin Gu, Rachel Schaevitz, and Karen Stegman for Chapel Hill Town Council
Chapel Hill voters will pick four candidates out of seven choices (plus some write-ins). Harrison, an incumbent, deserves reelection. He’s smart, versed on the challenges facing the city, and is willing to make difficult decisions on issues like affordability and growth. After that, though, the decisions become more difficult, as there are several qualified candidates. […]
In Durham’s Ward 3, the INDY Endorses Vernetta Alston for City Council
In Ward 3, challengers Vernetta Alston and Shelia Ann Huggins overwhelmed incumbent Don Moffitt. We believe either Alston or Huggins would do well on the council. And while Huggins has more direct experience in city governmentshe’s a business attorney who previously served in several positions in City Hall, including senior administration managerwe’re sticking with Alston, […]

