Michelle Johnson, unofficially the newest member of the Carrboro Board of Aldermen, promises to ensure a minority voice on the board and offer a perspective that is diverse in other ways.
Johnson, a black woman, will serve on the seven-member, predominantly white board alongside incumbents Lydia Lavelle and Dan Coleman, who were both re-elected.
The fourth candidate in the race, challenger Braxton Foushee, fell behind the winning candidates by more than 900 votes, according to unofficial results by the Orange County Board of Elections.
Because Alderwoman Joal Hall Broun decided not to run for re-election, Johnson will be the only black representative serving on the board this term.
But all three winners said the board’s diversity goes beyond race.
“We’re all diverse and will bring different perspectives for the board,” Johnson said.
Johnson said her experience as a downtown businesswoman and a social justice activist set her apart from the other candidates.
“Michelle must have energized an up-and-coming group of locals who are interested in the direction Carrboro is going,” Lavelle said.
Johnson, who lives and works in the heart of Carrboro, emphasized the need for downtown development during her campaign.
Johnson also included human rights issues like the day laborers on Jones Ferry and Davie roads in her platform, which resonated with voters, said Brooks Rainey Pearson, her campaign manager.
