Congratulations to the newly elected officials!
In Fayetteville, Mayor Mitch Colvin was elected for his fifth term. Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Keefe Jensen will be stepping down from office.
In Fayetteville City Council results:
• In District 1, newcomer Stephon Ferguson will be sworn in a seat that had been held by Jensen for 12 years,
• In District 2, incumbent Malik Davis will serve his second term. Davis received 68% of the vote.
• In District 3, former City Councilman and U.S. Air Force veteran Antonio Jones will serve a second term. He previously served the remainder of Tisha Waddell’s term from 2021.
• In District 4, Councilman DJ Haire will serve his 13th term on the Fayetteville City Council. He received 82.44% of the vote.
• In District 5, Lynne Bissette Greene will serve her second term. She ran unopposed after her challenger Enrique “Ranger Rick” Murillo dropped out of the race.
• In District 6, incumbent Derrick Thompson will serve his third term. He received 76.94% of the vote.
• In District 7, City Councilwoman Brenda McNair will serve her third term.
• In District 8, newcomer and retired Army officer Shaun McMillan won the seat that was vacated by Courtney Banks-McLaughlin who ran for mayor.
• And in District 9, Deno Hondros kept his seat and will remain a council member for this third term.
Other Cumberland County election results include:
• Hope Mills - Mayor Jessie Bellflowers and Hope Page, Grilley J. Mitchell, Bryan A. Marley, Cynthia Hamilton and Lisa F. Tremmel
• Spring Lake - Mayor Kia Anthony and Sona Cooper, Fredericka Sutherland, Jackie Jackson, Tony Burgess and Adrian Thompson
• Eastover - Mayor Charles McLaurin and Kimberly McPhail, Wayne Beard, Jr. and Bruce Sykes
• Falcon - Mayor Clifton L. Turpin, Jr. and Chip Lucas, Sue Brigman, R. Dwayne Dunning and Phillip J. Walters
• Godwin - Mayor Willie Burnette and Joseph Smith, Scarlet McIntyre Hall, Ronald McNeill and George Cooper, Jr.
• Linden - Mayor Frances Collier and Ronnie S. Maness, Jonathan Collier, Barbara C. Denning and Michael Hough. Linden will need to appoint one more commissioner.
• Stedman - Mayor Martin (Mardy) Jones along with Louis Wood and Harvey L. Cain, Jr.
• Wade - Mayor Johnny Lanthorn and Kevin Herring, Beth Ritchie, George E. Strater, Johnny B. Sawyer and Jennifer Dixon Weaver
Cumberland County
EwingCole, an architectural firm based in Pennsylvania with an office in Raleigh, is suing Cumberland County for unpaid fees related to the Crown Event Center project which was halted in March 2025. According to the lawsuit, the county stopped paying invoices in July 2024 and, as of September 1, EwingCole was owed $2.3 million. The county later paid a portion of this, leaving a remaining disputed balance of approximately $1.32 million.
Cumberland County Commission Chair Kirk deViere said that “the billing disputes in question stem from actions that occurred before the [current] board took office in December 2024.”
He further stated that when the board was made aware of these issues in March 2025, they took immediate action by launching an independent investigation. They canceled the project four months later after receiving a comprehensive report from the Hutchens Law Firm. That report has not been made public. County officials have stated that the matter is in active litigation and cannot comment further.
National Civics Bee®
The National Civics Bee®, a nationwide initiative led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, will allow middle school students (6th, 7th and 8th grades) to participate for the first time in North Carolina this year and Fayetteville through the Greater Fayetteville Chamber was chosen as a regional site. Applications for students officially are open and students have until Feb. 3, 2026 to apply.
For more information about the program including educator resources and how to participate in the 2026 competition, visit www.faybiz.com/civicsbee.
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.