A guide to 2025 local elections across the Triangle, from Apex to Zebulon
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While no federal or statewide elections take place this year, your vote could be highly influential in several local elections happening across the Triangle this fall.
Why it matters: Local elections tend to have low turnout, but their outcomes can shape your day-to-day lives, helping determine tax rates, spending priorities and, increasingly, guiding the growth that is defining the region.
What's next: Early voting in Wake County starts Oct. 16.
- In Durham, primary early voting starts Sept. 18 and early voting for the general starts Oct. 16.
Upcoming elections include:
Durham
Durham is set for a crowded primary for its city council and mayor this fall, with 19 candidates filed to run.
Why it matters: With the mayor and three council members up for re-election, this year's election could have a significant influence on the future direction of the city council.
Important dates: The primary will be on Oct. 7, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election on Nov. 4.
Mayor: Incumbent Mayor Leonardo Williams, a former teacher and current restaurant owner who became mayor in 2023, will face five challengers in the primary:
- Anjanée Bell, the daughter of former Mayor Bill Bell and the Arts in the Parks director for the N.C. Division of Parks & Recreation.
- Rafiq Zaidi, a local activist
- Angela Reddick
- Lloyd Phillips
- Pablo Friedmann, the director of the Multilingual Resource Center at Durham Public Schools.
Ward 1: Incumbent city council member DeDreana Freeman will face five candidates in a primary to represent Ward 1, which stretches from downtown Durham to the northern boundary of the city.
- Elijah King, a Durham native who is the third vice chair for the North Carolina Democratic Party.
- Andrea Cazales, a nurse and health researcher.
- Matt Kopac, a member of the city's planning commission and a sustainability consultant.
- Sheryl Smith, a local activist against gun violence in Durham.
- Samaria McKenzie, who works in marketing.
Ward 2: Mark-Anthony Middleton, a pastor who has served on the Durham City Council since 2017, will have two challengers in Ward 2, which includes some of south Durham and most of the eastern parts of the city.
- Shanetta Burris, a training manager for Supermajority, a group that mobilizes women to vote.
- Ashley Robbins, an assistive technology manager at Wake Technical Community College and a graduate student at N.C. Central University.
Ward 3: Chelsea Cook, a public interest attorney, is the incumbent city council member in Ward 3, but this will be her first election after being appointed to fill Williams' seat in 2024. She will have three challengers.
- Terry McCann, a math teacher at J.D. Clement Early College.
- Durant Long, who recently graduated from UNC-Asheville.
- Diana Medoff, an elementary school teacher at Duke School.
Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson is running unopposed on Nov. 4.
Town council (four seats): Six candidates are vying for four seats: Incumbents Camille Berry and Paris Miller-Foushee, along with Erik Valera, Jon Mitchell, Town of Chapel Hill Planning Commission member Wes McMahon and EPA social science advisor Louie Rivers.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education (three seats): Four candidates are running: Incumbents George Griffin, the board chair, and Riza Jenkins, the board's vice chair, plus Lynnee Argabright and Melinda Manning.
Apex
Town council (three seats): Incumbent and mayor pro tem Ed Gray is running for reelection.
- Seven other candidates are also running: Shane Reese, Sue Mu, Andre Powell, Mary Miskimon, TJ Evans, Aditya Ahlawat and Kyrone Nebolisa.
Cary
The Town of Cary has three council seats up for grabs on Nov. 4.
At-large: Incumbent Carissa Kohn-Johnson will face Marjorie K. Eastman, a veteran who ran for U.S. Senate in 2022 before losing in the Republican primary.
District A: Mayor pro tem and sitting council member Jennifer Robinson will run for reelection against Brittany Richards.
District C: Bella Huang and Renee Miller will run to replace longtime council member Jack Smith, who has been on the council since 1989.
Fuquay Varina
Mayor: Incumbent Blake Massengill is running against sitting town commissioner William "Bill" Harris.
Board of Commissioners (two seats): Incumbent Bryan Haynes, Gage Cook, Nolan Ray Perry and Kristopher Vorren
Garner
Town council (two seats): Incumbents Kathy Behringer and Gra Singleton are running for reelection. Mike McIver, Patricia Uzzell, Kelvin Stallings and Rex Whaley are also running.
Holly Springs
Mayor: Incumbent Mayor Sean Mayefskie faces Mike Kondratick as a challenger.
Town council: Vying for the three seats available will be Sarah Larson, Tim Forrest (an incumbent), Joe Cuccurullo, Josh Prizer, Kara Foster and Annie Drees (an incumbent).
Knightdale
Town council: Three seats are up on Knightdale's town council.
- Competing for the spots are: Grady Bussey, Steve Evans (incumbent), Mark Swan (incumbent), Latatious Morris (incumbent), Shannon Russell Hardy
Morrisville
Morrisville will vote for mayor and three council seats on Nov. 4.
Mayor: Incumbent Mayor TJ Cawley will run against Satish Garimella, Morrisville's current mayor pro tem, and Richard Reinhart.
At-Large: This seat opens up after longtime council member Steve Rao decided to run for the Wake County Board of Commissioners.
- Vying for the at-large seat are Liz Dann, Harrison Kesling, Subba Reddy Madireddy and Pete Martin.
District 2: Running to replace outgoing council member Donna Fender is Jashi Abhirajan and Ashit Patel.
District 4: In District 4, Patty Cheng is taking on incumbent Vicki Scroggins-Johnson.
Wake Forest
Wake Forest will vote for mayor and its board of commissioners Nov. 4.
Mayor: Incumbent Vivan Jones will take on Ben Clapsaddle, a current member of the town's board of commissioners.
Board of Commissioners (two seats): Incumbents Nick Sliwinski and R. Keith Shackleford will be challenged by Jasmine Zavala, Haseeb Fatmi, Thomas Dement and Pam James.
Wendell
Board of commissioners (three seats): Incumbent Deans Eatman is seeking re-election, with seven other candidates on the ballot:
- Wes Jones, B.J. Barham (of Americana band American Aquarium), Kate Benson, Dustin Ingalls, Jorge Cordova, Philip Tarnaski and Christopher M. Critzer.
Zebulon
Two board of commissioner seats are on the ballot on Nov. 4, along with Zebulon mayor, giving residents the opportunity to elect new leadership after months of turmoil and high-profile resignations.
Mayor: Incumbent Glenn York, who has faced calls to resign, is running for reelection.
- Four other candidates have enetered the race in hopes of unseating him: Two current commissioners, Shannon Baxter and Jessica Daniels Harrison, along with Larry Loucks and Gilbert Todd.
Board of commissioners (two seats): Quentin Miles will seek reelection. Also running: Jesse Brown, Davarus Gardner, George Roa, Milton Robinson and Trenton Schmit.