During this local election season, 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro spoke with candidates for races representing Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough and Pittsboro. Each answered the same set of questions regarding their decision to run for elected office, their thoughts on pressing community issues and what they wish for residents to think of when voting this fall. Their answers (lightly edited for clarity and brevity) are shared here, as well as links to their respective campaign websites or pages. If a candidate did not respond or chose not to speak with 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro, it will be designated with no audio. The order of candidates below is in the alphabetical order of their last names.
After only one of the 2024 races for the Orange County Board of Commissioners was contested, all three have primary competition this year.
Two incumbents — Jamezetta Bedford in District 1, which covers Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and Earl McKee in Hillsborough and rural Orange County’s District 2 — face challengers with different backgrounds. Former Chapel Hill Town Council member and faith leader Maria Palmer is aiming to return to an elected role, while clinical research coordinator Beth Bronson is looking to serve in office for the first time. Meanwhile, the race for the At-Large seat on the ballot is open after two-term commissioner Sally Greene announced she will depart the board at the end of 2026. That drew two Democrats to run: former Chapel Hill Town Council member Karen Stegman and electrician and Orange County Planning Board member Adam Beeman.
While the winner of the District 1 Democratic primary will run uncontested in the fall, the District 2 winner will face Republican Louis Capitanio and the At-Large winner will run against Republican Jeffrey Hoagland.
97.9 The Hill spoke with each Democrat candidate, asking these questions that are reflected in the recorded responses:
Why were you inspired to join this race? What are the top three issues your campaign is built on? What do you believe sets you apart from the other candidate(s) in this primary? What is your philosophy around the role local governments play when we see threats to democracy at the state and federal levels? During the last few years, what do you believe the board has done well to help address affordability concerns of Orange County residents? Where do you believe there’s still work to be done? When voters see your name on the ballot, what do you want them to think of? Orange County BOCC District 1, Democratic PrimaryJamezetta Bedford (D)
Photo via Jamezetta for Orange County Commissioner
chapelboroaudio.s3.amazonaws.com/2026/Candidate%20Introductions/2026%20Primaries/County/CI%20JAMEZETTA%20BEDFORD_FINAL.mp3
Maria T. Palmer (D)
Photo via Maria Palmer for Orange County
chapelboroaudio.s3.amazonaws.com/2026/Candidate%20Introductions/2026%20Primaries/County/CI%20MARIA%20PALMER_FINAL.mp3Orange County BOCC District 2, Democratic Primary
Beth Bronson (D)
Photo via Beth For Orange County
chapelboroaudio.s3.amazonaws.com/2026/Candidate%20Introductions/2026%20Primaries/County/CI%20BETH%20BRONSON_FINAL.mp3
Earl McKee (D)
Photo via Earl McKee for District 2 Commissioner
chapelboroaudio.s3.amazonaws.com/2026/Candidate%20Introductions/2026%20Primaries/County/CI%20EARL%20McKEE_FINAL.mp3Orange County BOCC At-Large, Democratic Primary
Adam Beeman (D)
Photo via Beeman for OC BOCC
chapelboroaudio.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/2026/Candidate%20Introductions/2026%20Primaries/County/CI%20ADAM%20BEEMAN_FINAL.mp3
Karen Stegman (D)
Photo via Stegman for Orange
chapelboroaudio.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/2026/Candidate%20Introductions/2026%20Primaries/County/CI%20KAREN%20STEGMAN_FINAL.mp3
Early voting in Orange County for the 2026 primary election runs from Thursday, Feb. 12 to Saturday, Feb. 28 offering an additional to register to vote for anyone who misses the Feb. 9 deadline. Primary Election Day itself is Tuesday, March 3, while the general election will end on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
More of the 2026 Candidate Introductions for local elections can be found on Chapelboro’s Local Elections page as they are published.
Featured photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.
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2026 Candidate Introductions: Democratic Primaries for the Orange County Board of Commissioners Chapelboro.com.
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