Fayetteville and other municipalities within Cumberland County will have some competition this upcoming election season with numerous candidates for mayor and board seats and we will be watching these races carefully including hosting a Candidates Forum on Oct. 14 for the Fayetteville Mayor and City Council. Keep an eye out too for a Greater Fayetteville Chamber candidates guide coming soon!
The Fayetteville Primary election will be held on Oct. 7 and the full election including all municipalities and the Cumberland-Eastern Sanitation District will be Nov. 4.
Cumberland County Board of Elections Candidates
For City of Fayetteville Mayor, there are ten candidates including:
John Ashford, Courtney Banks-McLaughlin, Mario (Be) Benavente, Mitch Colvin, Freddie de la Cruz, Kathy Keefe Jensen, Clifton L. Johnson, Nahlee Iris Smith, Tisha S. Waddell and Paul A. Williams.
Colvin, who is serving his fourth term, announced in June that he was stepping down from public office. However, he signed up to run again for mayor on the last day of candidate filing at the Cumberland County Board of Elections.
Banks-McLaughlin, Benavente and Jensen are all currently serving on the City Council. Waddell and Williams have served on the City Council previously.
The following candidates are running for the individual City of Fayetteville districts:
• District 1 - Jamie Davis, Stephon Ferguson, James L. Thomas III and Theodore Melkoumov
• District 2 - Malik Davis (i), Gail Morfesis and Joseph (Joey) Thames
• District 3 - Antonio Jones, Jeremy Wright
• District 4 - Stuart A. Collick, D.J. Haire (i)
District 5 - Lynne Bissette Greene (i), Rick Murillo
• District 6 - Derrick Thompson (i), Kenneth E. Odegard II
• District 7 - Dwight France, J’Kwan Fulmore, Kathy A. Greggs, Brenda McNair (i) and Khalil Younger
• District 8 - Rodney E. Garvin, Mahmoud A. (Travis) Hamed, Shaun McMillan and Robbie Poole
• District 9 - Deno Hondros (i), Gary A. Hunt, Joe McGee
In Hope Mills, there are two mayoral candidates including Jessie Bellflowers (i) and Todd Henderson and ten candidates running for five commissioner seats: Elyse Craver (i), Cynthia Hamilton, Mark Hess, Bryan A. Marley (i), Grilley J. Mitchell, Hope Page, Karen Smith Saracen, Joanne Scarola (i), Ronald Sterling and Lisa F. Tremmel.
In Spring Lake, there are two mayoral candidates including Kia Anthony and Robyn Chadwick. Anthony is seeking her third term and Chadwick, who has also served as Mayor Pro Tem, is seeking her third term on the board, her first as Mayor. There are also 11 candidates running for five commissioner seats: Ryan C. Anderson, Stachia Arnold, Katrina Bell Bratcher, Tony Burgess, Sona Cooper (i), Jackie Lee Jackson, Mary C. Jackson, Dedra Parker, Tyrone Short, Fredericka Sutherland and Adrian Jones Thompson (i). Jackson and Sutherland have served previously on the board.
Hope Mills voted to implement four-year staggered terms this year and Spring Lake approved four year terms in 2024.
For the Cumberland-Eastover Sanitary District, Liz Reeser, who is currently serving as Chair, and Helen Crumpler, who is currently serving as Vice Chair, are running for another term. This board is separate from the Town of Eastover and provides water and sewer to residents.
In Eastover, Mayor Charles G. McLaurin is running for his 10th term. Bruce Sykes (i), Kimberly F. McPhail (i) and Wayne Beard, Jr. are running for three seats on the town council. Eastover has staggered terms for six seats overall on the town council.
There are two mayoral candidates in Falcon including Clifton L. Turpin, Jr. and James Danny Nelson, Jr. Running for four seats as Town of Falcon Commissioner are Sue Brigman, R. Dwayne Dunning (i), Dylan H. Ivey, Chip Lucas, Chris Stone and Philip J. Walters.
In Godwin, Willie Burnette is running unopposed for his 12th term. Four incumbents are seeking another term as Godwin Commissioners including George Cooper, Jr., Scarlet McIntyre Hall, Joseph Smith and Ronald McNeal. Newcomer Dennis C. Smith Sr. is also running for commissioner. There are four seats.
In Linden, Frances Collier is running for mayor for a fourth term. Jonathan Collier (i), Barbara C. Denning (i), Michael Hough and Ronnie S. Maness (i) are running for five commissioner seats.
In Stedman, Mayor Martin (Mardy) Jones is running for his third term as mayor. He has served as a town commissioner from 1998 to 2017. Louis Wood (i) is running for the Board of Commissioners. There are two seats available.
In Wade, Johnny Lanthorn is running for Mayor and Kevin Herring (i), Beth Ritchie (i), Johnny B. Sawyer (i), George E. Strater and Jennifer Dixon Weaver (i) are running for five commissioner seats.
To help candidates running for Fayetteville City Council prepare for office, the Greater Fayetteville Chamber will be hosting a Candidates Academy on Friday, Aug. 1. This all-day event will bring many local subject matter experts to share their knowledge on the workings of our community and government and outline what elected officials need to know about policy making in our All-America City. Topics will include writing press releases, public body protocols, differences between our government’s jurisdictional boundaries and identifying needs vs. wants as well as overviews on the downtown business district, the City’s economic outlook, crime and safety, the arts and our public utilities.
The Greater Fayetteville Chamber will also host a Candidates Forum on Tuesday, Oct. 14, which will be held at Fayetteville Technical Community College in Cumberland Hall starting at 5:30 p.m. This event offers a unique opportunity for the public to hear directly from those seeking to represent them and gain a deeper understanding of each candidate's vision and policies. It is open to the community and free of charge. Find out more at www.faybiz.com.
Cumberland County
The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners has officially opened the application process to fill the Sheriff’s seat following the retirement of Ennis W. Wright, who concluded nearly three decades of distinguished public service on June 30, 2025.
In accordance with North Carolina General Statutes 162-2 and 162-5, the Board of Commissioners will appoint a qualified resident to serve the remainder of the term. Qualifications include:
• The applicant is at least 21 years of age.
• The applicant has not been convicted of a felony in any state.
• The applicant is a qualified voter in Cumberland County.
Residents who meet the legal qualifications to serve as Sheriff under NC General Statute 162-2 are invited to submit seven copies of the required application materials to the Board of Commissioners at the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse by COB August 4, 2025. The list of required materials can be found at www.cumberlandcountync.gov.
City of Fayetteville
The city's Economic and Community Development Department (ECD) has awarded $1,683,509 in competitive grants to local nonprofits as part of its 2025–26 Annual Funding Cycle. Each program year, starting in July and ending in June, focuses on priorities identified by ECD and city council. Recent priorities included homelessness, mental health, gun violence interruption and youth development.
For a full list of recipients addressing needs such as youth mentoring, homelessness prevention and opioid response, visit www.fayettevillenc.gov.
About the Greater Fayetteville Chamber
Advocacy is a cornerstone of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber. Every week, the Chamber dedicates staff to attend City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County meetings as well as monitoring updates on the state and federal levels. We monitor legislation locally, statewide and federally to protect our community’s business interests. With 91% of U.S. adults recognizing a Chamber of Commerce's impact on growth, membership ensures a strong voice shaping policies, driving economic success, and building a thriving business community—together. To learn more, visit www.faybiz.com or email jmclaughlin@faybiz.com.