Lydia Lavelle
Mayor of Carrboro
In office
December 3, 2013 – 2021
Preceded byMark Chilton
Succeeded byDamon Seils
Carrboro Alderman
In office
2007–2013
Personal details
BornAthens, Ohio
NationalityAmerican
Education
OccupationLaw professor

Lydia E. Lavelle is an American academic and politician. She was the mayor of Carrboro, North Carolina, from 2013 to 2021, and is a professor of law at North Carolina Central University.[1] She was first elected mayor in 2013, after serving on the Board of Aldermen of Carrboro for six years from 2007 to 2013.[1][2][3][4] When she was elected, she became the first openly-lesbian mayor in North Carolina.[5] She served on the board of the North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors Coalition[6] and on the North Carolina Commission on Inclusion, to which she was appointed in 2018.[7] As a law professor, she has researched the effects of anti-discrimination laws on LGBT people.[7]

In 2014, she and her wife, Alicia Stemper, were the first gay couple to receive a marriage certificate in Orange County, North Carolina, after having two previous ceremonies of union prior to the legalization of gay marriage in North Carolina.[8][9] In 2015, after receiving their marriage certificate, they held a public celebration of their marriage.[9]

Background

Lavelle was born in Athens, Ohio, and earned her bachelor's degree from St. Andrews University followed by a master's in parks and recreation administration from North Carolina State University. She worked in parks administration for several years, before earning her J.D. from North Carolina Central University in 1993.[10][11] She then clerked for Clifton E. Johnson, North Carolina Court of Appeals judge from 1993 to 1995, and spent several years in private practice with Kevin Foy, who was mayor of Chapel Hill from 2001 to 2009.[12]

Positions

As a result of her research and her identity, she has led Carrboro in promoting policies inclusive of LGBT people and others.[7] In response to the passage of House Bill 2 by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2016, the Carrboro Board of Alderman passed resolutions condemning the actions of the state legislature and Governor Pat McCrory. After the passage of the resolutions, she prepared a model resolution for other municipalities to use in condemning the bill.[13] She has opposed raids by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, alongside her counterpart in neighboring Chapel Hill, Pam Hemminger.[14] She has also expressed an interest in continuing the development of public transportation in the region.[1][3]

Electoral history

Carrboro Board of Aldermen Election, 2011[15]
Candidate Votes %
Michelle Johnson 2,196 29.89
Lydia Ellen Lavelle 2,191 29.82
Dan Coleman 1,907 25.95
Braxton Foushee 987 13.43
Write-In (Miscellaneous) 69 0.91
Carrboro Mayor Election, 2013[16]
Candidate Votes %
Lydia E. Lavelle 1,838 96.18
Write-In (Miscellaneous) 63 3.30
Mark Chilton (Write-In) 5 0.26
Brian Voyce (Write-In) 5 0.26
Carrboro Mayor Election, 2015[17]
Candidate Votes %
Lydia E. Lavelle 1,749 96.36
Write-In (Miscellaneous) 66 3.64
Carrboro Mayor Election, 2017[18]
Candidate Votes %
Lydia E. Lavelle 3,211 87.85
Michael (Mike) Benson 421 11.52
Write-In (Miscellaneous) 23 0.63

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Lydia Lavelle running for re-election, looking to complete unfinished business". The Daily Tar Heel. Archived from the original on 2019-05-03. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  2. ↑ "Lavelle Running for Re-Election as Carrboro Mayor". Chapelboro.com. 2019-04-17. Archived from the original on 2019-05-03. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  3. 1 2 "Q&A with Carrboro Mayor Pro Tempore Lydia Lavelle". The Daily Tar Heel. Archived from the original on 2019-05-04. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  4. ↑ "Who's who: local government in Chapel Hill". The Daily Tar Heel. Archived from the original on 2019-05-04. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  5. ↑ "Carrboro Celebrates NC's 1st Openly-Lesbian Mayor". Chapelboro.com. 2013-12-04. Archived from the original on 2019-05-04. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  6. ↑ "North Carolina Mayors Discuss Tacking Common Issues". Chapelboro.com. 2018-11-29. Archived from the original on 2019-05-04. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  7. 1 2 3 "Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle appointed to N.C. Commission on Inclusion". The Daily Tar Heel. Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  8. ↑ March, Mary Tyler. "First gay couples get married in Orange County". The Daily Tar Heel. Archived from the original on 2019-05-04. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  9. 1 2 Risinger, Corey. "Carrboro mayor Lydia Lavelle calls for national inclusivity". The Daily Tar Heel. Archived from the original on 2019-05-04. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  10. ↑ "Lydia E. Lavelle" (PDF). North Carolina Department of Administration. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  11. ↑ "Lydia E. Lavelle". NCCU School of Law. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  12. ↑ "How Our Mayors Manage More Than Just Local Politics". Chapel Hill Magazine. May 23, 2016. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
  13. ↑ Hooley, Danny (2016-03-27). "Carrboro Passes 'Model Resolution' Against HB2, Condemns State Lawmakers". INDY Week. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  14. ↑ "Chapel Hill and Carrboro mayors speak out against ICE raids in N.C." The Daily Tar Heel. Archived from the original on 2019-05-04. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  15. ↑ "NC SBE Contest Results". er.ncsbe.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  16. ↑ "2013 mayoral election Carrboro". Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  17. ↑ "NC SBE Election Contest Details". er.ncsbe.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  18. ↑ "NC SBE Election Contest Details". er.ncsbe.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
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