Two new faces, two incumbents win council seats

Editor’s Note: A team of six staff writers, including Mary Helen Moore, Princess Streeter, Rachel Herzog, Will Parker, Zoe Schaver and Patrick Millett, were stationed around Chapel Hill to cover the town council elections.

The Chapel Hill Town Council welcomed two new faces — Maria Palmer and George Cianciolo — after the race to fill four open seats on the council concluded Tuesday.

Incumbents Ed Harrison and Sally Greene were also re-elected, while challengers Amy Ryan, Gary Kahn, Paul Neebe, D.C. Swinton and Loren Hintz fell short.

Maria Palmer’s multicolored campaign shirts matched the brightness of the smiles of her supporters after the election results were announced.

Palmer said she hoped to reach out to the Latino community and to move forward with making housing more affordable and the streets safer.

“There’s looking at how to make our town a model of justice work,” said Palmer, who garnered 16.2 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results from Orange County precincts.

Cianciolo, the former co-chairman of the Chapel Hill 2020 development plan, said the plan’s success was his priority moving forward with the council during the election celebration at Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe .

Cianciolo received 18.82 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results from Orange County precincts.

“I love challenges, but every challenge makes you a little bit nervous,” he said. “If you don’t get nervous then you’re probably overconfident.”

Hintz, a newcomer who also did not receive a position on the council, said although he was not elected, he still hopes his ideas he expressed while campaigning will be utilized.

“A lot of ideas got suggested while I was campaigning and I’d like to see some of those ideas from voters still be implemented on the council,” he said.

The retired Chapel Hill High School science teacher has expertise in environmental studies and protection. Although he wasn’t elected, he said he will still suggest improvements to the town in his role on the Orange County Commission for the Environment.

Ryan and her supporters were gathered at Lucha Tigre in Chapel Hill when she found out she was not elected.

“I’m in fifth, so I’m the best of those who didn’t get it,” she said.

Ryan shared some advice for the council, despite the results.

“There’s a big push for lots of development but they need to give that a second look and make sure it fits Chapel Hill.”

She will continue her involvement with the town as the role on the planning board and co-chairwoman of the Central West Focus Area.

Harrison, who will now begin his fourth term as council member, said he is looking forward to getting back to work and focusing on the town’s transportation issues.

“I treasure working on council, and I really don’t like the campaign part as much as I do the work on council,” Harrison said. “I think I’ve proved that with my three terms.”

Greene said she will continue to try to be as responsive as she has been in the past.

Greene received the most votes, garnering 19.59 percent of the vote in unofficial results.

“I will continue to push very hard for affordable rental strategies and approaches to affordable housing.”

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