Orange County At-Large Commissioner: Who will lead on housing?
See which local candidates makes the grade. Early voting through Feb 28. Primary Day is Mar 3.
The Orange County At-Large Commissioner race features two Democratic candidates competing in the primary. There is no Republican primary contest for this seat, meaning the outcome of the Democratic primary will largely determine the direction of the race heading into November. We’ve graded all three candidates across both parties.
County leadership plays a critical role in affordable housing investment, development review processes, land use coordination, and homelessness response across Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough. We believe housing is the measure of whether our leaders are ready to welcome growth and build a more affordable future.
We evaluated candidates based on their support for expanding housing supply, strengthening affordability tools, improving predictability in development processes, and addressing housing stability countywide. Below is our full breakdown of each candidate and why they earned their grade.
Karen Stegman (Dem) earns an A for her demonstrated pro housing leadership and policy depth. As a former Chapel Hill Town Council member, she played a leading role in advancing zoning reform, reducing lot size barriers, streamlining development review, and approving $25 million in affordable housing bonds. She pairs supply expansion with strong affordability tools, including inclusionary zoning, land trusts, eviction prevention, and property tax relief. In a political climate where density often faces resistance, her consistent support for infill and mixed income development reflects meaningful leadership on Orange County’s housing challenges.
Adam Beeman (Dem) earns a C. He supports additional housing types, by right permitting in designated growth areas, and infrastructure aligned development. However, his answers remain general and emphasize caution and context sensitivity over clear production targets or demonstrated reform leadership. Addressing Orange County’s housing shortage requires detailed, actionable commitments, and we did not see that level of specificity reflected here.
Jeffrey Hoagland (Rep) earns an F. While he responded to our questionnaire, his housing platform centers almost entirely on expanding single family homes and suburban sprawl, opposes recent pro housing zoning reforms, and rejects public subsidy tools. He does not support expanding missing middle or multifamily housing options. We did not see a housing strategy that meaningfully addresses Orange County’s housing shortage.
Transparency matters.
These assessments are based on candidate questionnaire responses to our housing questionnaire, other published questionnaires and public forums. Our pro-housing questionnaire was developed collaboratively with RDU New Liberals, Yes! in My Triangle YIMBYaction chapter, and Strong Towns Raleigh Local Conversation. Each group may also share candidate recommendations or endorsements.
We encourage you to read each candidate’s full questionnaire responses and public statements before voting.
Candidates who did not respond are noted above; grades reflect publicly available records.
Housing decisions shape affordability, neighborhood stability, and whether our communities welcome new neighbors. Share this guide with a friend, ask candidates where they stand, and make your plan to vote.