Mayor Mitch Colvin won reelection Tuesday night, defeating Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Jensen and securing a fifth term in office, according to unofficial results from the Cumberland County Board of Elections.
Jensen, who has represented District 1 since 2013, will lose her council seat as a result of the mayoral bid.
According to unofficial results Tuesday night, Colvin received 12,436 votes (60.05%), while Jensen earned 7,855 votes (38.93%). Write-in candidates accounted for 418 votes, or 2.02%.
Fayetteville Mayoral Election Results
Jensen entered the race believing that Colvin had decided to retire from public office. After he formally announced in June that he would not seek reelection, she quickly emerged as the top contender in what became a crowded primary field.
But the dynamics of the race shifted mid-summer, when Colvin reversed course and threw his hat in the ring at the eleventh hour.
With several council members running for mayor and multiple seats up for grabs, Colvin pointed to a potential shake-up in city leadership and said voters were looking for stability in a moment of transition.
The decision closed the path for Jensen to remain on council and forced voters to evaluate two familiar names in city politics.
“While tonight’s result is not what we hoped for, I am deeply proud of the campaign we ran together,” Jensen told CityView Tuesday night. “I extend my sincere respect to Mayor Colvin for his continued service and leadership, and I look forward to working together for the good of our city.”
Reached Tuesday night Colvin said he thanks God and everyone who came out to vote. “Whether they voted for me or not, I look forward to serving them diligently over the next two years,” he said.
With unofficial results locking in three new city council members, Colvin will work with a newly configured council to advance his agenda after the board’s swearing-in in December. Key priorities for his fifth term are expected to include:
- Building a holistic public safety system by hiring and supporting law enforcement with better pay and technology
- Training Fayetteville’s workforce to compete in a changing world of technology and innovation
- Collaborating with schools, the county, military, and health care systems to prepare the community for success in health care, education, and infrastructure
Asked what he believed gave him the edge in the race, Colvin said he laid out the strongest case for why experience and stability were critical in this moment.
“I think I made a big case that right now it was a tough transition for leadership,” he said, “given all the other things that have taken place on the federal and state level.”
Government reporter Rachel Heimann Mercader can be reached at rheimann@cityviewnc.com.
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