Democrats retain hold on Orange County offices

By Bailey Aldridge | November 6

All of the candidates running for Orange County offices, all of which were uncontested, were elected.

Mark Kleinschmidt is mayor of Chapel Hill. He was first elected to the Chapel Hill Town Council in 2001. He served two terms before running for mayor in 2009. His current term expires in 2015.

His election in 2001 made him the fifth openly gay North Carolinian elected in state history, and he is Chapel Hill's first openly gay mayor. He has served on various committees, including his chairing of the Council Economic Development Committee and the Council Communications Committee. Kleinschmidt was president of the ACLU Board of Directors from 2008-9. He received a bachelor's degree in social studies education from UNC in 1992 and his J.D. from UNC School of Law in 2000.