Incumbent Burlington mayor Jim Butler held off a strong challenge from first-time candidate Beth Kennett Tuesday. Butler had 3,060 votes to Kennett’s 2,884, 51.41% to 48.45%, including both the Alamance and Guilford County portions of Burlington.
Second time candidate Dejuana Bigelow led the balloting for city council, as she had in the primary, with 3,213 votes (including the sliver of Burlington that’s in Guilford County); close behind was long-time incumbent Bob Ward with 3,064. Planning board member Charlie Beasley and former council Celo Faucette were third and fourth, respectively, for the two seats, with 2,540 and 1,797 votes, respectively.
Incumbent mayors along with incumbent city and town council members were returned to office Tuesday in Graham, Mebane, and Haw River. One new member, each, was elected in Elon and Gibsonville, due to retirements in both of those jurisdictions. Green Level’s mayor apparently has lost her seat on the town council.
In Graham, Jennifer Talley was unopposed and drew 781 votes. For city council, incumbents Ricky Hall and Bonnie Whitaker were tied at 575 each. Former councilman Chip Turner, who was seeking a comeback after losing in Talley in a race for mayor two years ago after the retirement of Jerry Peterman, had 422. Newcomer Ryan Kluk received 359 votes.
In Haw River, incumbent mayor Kelly Allen had an almost three-to-one margin over newcomer Aric V. Geda; Allen had 187 votes, Geda has 67. Incumbent council members Patty Wilson and Steve Lineberry had 175 and 165, respectively, for the two available seats. Debbie Brown was third with 115.
In Elon incumbent council member Quinn Ray and Monti Allison led the balloting with 671 and 499 votes, respectively. The third seat went to Michael Woods, who garnered 478. Sammerah Qawasmy had 157.
In Gibsonville, incumbent aldermen Mark Shepherd was re-elected with 352 votes; newcomer Tangela Mitchell was second with 308 votes; and Irene Fanelli, who was appointed earlier this year to finish out the term of Yvonne Maizaland had 295 votes. Darla Lawson placed fourth with 216. Meanwhile, Paul Dean was elected without opposition to the two-year term filling the remainder of the term of Paul Thompson, who died in 2022; Dean, himself a former alderman, had been appointed in 2022; he received 414 votes.
And long-time Gibsonville mayor Lenny Williams was elected to a sixth, four-year term with 439 votes.
Incumbents also prevailed in unopposed races in the Mebane, the Village of Alamance, and Swepsonville.
Mebane mayor Ed Hooks was unopposed; he got 621 votes in the final vote county including both Alamance and Orange counties; likewise, incumbent council members Sean C. Ewing and Katie Burkholder were also unopposed. They got 577 and 536 votes, respectively.
In the Village of Alamance, incumbent mayor Don Tichy was re-elected with 60 votes.
Incumbent aldermen Barry Crouse, Daniel J. Tichy, and Tim W. Isley were re-elected, Crouse and Daniel Tichy with 57 votes, Isley with 56.
In Green Level, former councilman Michael Trollinger led the balloting with 136 votes for three available seats, followed by Stephanie L. Enoch and Remonia Enoch, with 112 and 110, respectively. Apparently losing her seat on the council is Sandra McCollum, who currently serves as mayor; she had 98 votes. Green Level’s five council members choose among themselves for the person to be designated as mayor.
