WATCH: Observer and WIDU speak to Fayetteville, Hope Mills and Spring Lake candidates

Early voting starts today for the Nov. 7 general election, and The Fayetteville Observer and partner WIDU radio 99.7 FM have worked together to produce a series of interviews with candidates on the ballot in Cumberland County.

As part of the Candidate Conversations series, WIDU and Fayetteville Observer staffers spoke with candidates for Fayetteville City Council, the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners and the Spring Lake Board of Aldermen, including mayoral candidates for all three municipalities.

Follow The Fayetteville Observer on Threads and Facebook and at fayobserver.com for the latest updates on election night. In addition, the Observer's Myron B. Pitts and WIDU's Jay Reinstein will be live streaming on WIDU's Facebook page on election night, providing you with live updates and commentary on the results.

Check out our 2023 voter guide here, and watch the videos linked below to learn even more about the candidates on the ballot.

Fayetteville City Council

Mayor: Incumbent Mitch Colvin and challenger Freddie de la Cruz

Fayetteville City Council: All nine seats are on the ballot.

• District 1: Incumbent Kathy Jensen and challenger Alex Rodriguez

• District 2: Incumbent Shakeyla Ingram and challenger Malik Davis

• District 3: Incumbent Mario Benavente and challenger Michele Dillon

• District 4: Incumbent D.J. Haire and challenger Stuart Collick

• District 5: Incumbent Johnny Dawkins and challenger Lynne Bissette Green

• District 6: Incumbent Derrick Thompson is unopposed.

• District 7: Incumbent Brenda McNair is unopposed.

• District 8: Incumbent Courtney Banks-McLaughlin is unopposed.

• District 9: Incumbent Deno Hondros and challenger Fredlisha Lansana

Here's who's running in Hope Mills

Mayor: Incumbent Jackie Warner and challenger Jessie Bellflowers

Board of Commissioners: All five at-large seats are on the ballot.

• Challenger Elyse Craver

• Challenger Pat Edwards

• Challenger Mark Hess

• Incumbent Jerry Legge

• Incumbent Bryan A. Marley

• Incumbent Kenjuana McCray

• Incumbent Grilley Mitchell

• Challenger Patrick Mitchell

• Challenger Deanna L. Rosario

• Challenger Karen Smith Saracen

• Incumbent Joanne Scarola

• Challenger Ronald Starling

• Challenger Ronnie Strong

Here's who's running in Spring Lake

Mayor: Incumbent Kia Anthony and challenger Fredricka Sutherland

Board of Aldermen: All five at-large seats are on the ballot.

• Challenger Katrina Bell Bratcher

• Incumbent Robyn Chadwick

• Incumbent Soña L. Cooper

• Challenger Daniel B. Gerald

• Challenger Jackie Lee Jackson

• Incumbent Marvin Lackman

• Challenger James P. O’Garra

• Incumbent Raul Palacios

• Incumbent Adrian Jones Thompson

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: WIDU and Fayetteville Observer host Candidate Conversations 2023