In a cycle dominated by the presidential race, Orange County’s local elections delivered no surprises as incumbent Democratic county commissioners held their seats, a progressive took Carrboro’s open council seat, and both sets of bond referenda—$300 million for education across the county and $44 million for various improvements in Chapel Hill—passed with clear majorities.
As in previous elections, the large progressive populations in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough decisively outperformed the moderate and conservative voters in the rural beyond.
Per unofficial results the day after the election, Orange, handing Kamala Harris about 75 percent of the vote, matched the roughly 75 percent that Joe Biden won in 2020. In fact, every single candidate with “Democrat” next to their name received at least 70 percent of Orange’s vote.
County Commissioners
Incumbents Amy Fowler and Jean Hamilton, as well as newcomer Marilyn Carter, all Democrats, won their uncontested elections for seats on the board of county commissioners.
Democrat Phyllis Portie-Ascott, who was appointed by the board to fill a vacancy last year, was elected to her first full term over Republican H. Nathan Robinson with about 74 percent of the vote. Robinson, who previously tried to get on the ballot as an independent in 2022, ran a quiet campaign set on highlighting that the Democrat-dominated board of commissioners doesn’t represent all of Orange County.
Orange County Education Bond Referendum
To little surprise, the county-wide $300 million education bond referendum passed with about 67 percent of the vote. The bond will provide approximately $175 million to Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) and approximately $125 million to Orange County Schools (OCS) that may only be used for school facility improvements. The current plan calls for the replacement of five elementary schools and a middle school. Based on current projections, the bond is projected to cost a property taxpayer $34.10 for every $100,000 of assessed property value.
The bond, though, will only cover a portion of the estimated $1 billion in improvements that will be needed over the next 15 years to bring the county’s facilities up to modern standards. And despite the high approval rate, not everyone has full faith in the elected board officials. The bond money can only be used for facility improvements, but in CHCCS, community members have separately questioned the implementation of the recent staff-downsizing plan as enrollment has declined. It will be difficult to truly take the temperature of the populace until several board members are up for election in 2025.
Chapel Hill Bond Referenda
Across five separate referenda that each passed with 70-80 percent of the vote, Chapel Hill voters approved $44 million for a slew of connectivity and equity focused projects.
That includes: $15 million for affordable housing (to build new, preserve existing, acquire property to build on, leverage state and federal funding, and create regional partnerships) $15 million for public facilities (to replace Fire Stations 3 and 4 with new facilities) $7.5 million for streets and sidewalks (to improve and expand connectivity and ADA accessibility on Fordham Boulevard and Ephesus Church Road and support sidewalk projects in areas near schools and transit) $4.5 million for parks and recreation facilities (to replace artificial turf on Homestead Park playing fields, replace the community center climbing wall, build a splash bad, enhance pickleball courts, and more) and $2 million for open space and greenways (to build the Bolin Creek Greenway Extension).
Carrboro Town Council Special Election
In Carrboro, Democrat Cristóbal Palmer cruised into his first public office seat with about 77 percent of the vote, defeating opponent Isaac Woolsey. Palmer will serve for only one year in the seat vacated by Barbara Foushee when she assumed the mayorship but, as an incumbent, Palmer is in a prime position to pursue a full term if he chooses to run again in the 2025 election. In his campaign, he promised to advocate for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements, to center equity in the town’s climate agenda, and to take a hard look at the town’s current zoning laws in order to better incentivize the creation of affordable housing.
Orange Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor
Gail McKee Hughes won an uncontested reelection.
Reach Reporter Chase Pellegrini de Paur at [email protected]. Comment on this story at [email protected].