Rural Hall ousted two incumbents in this week’s election.
Unaffiliated candidate and former Council Member Susan Hawks Gordon bested Republican Terry Bennett in the mayoral race by about 180 votes. The race was a rematch — Gordon narrowly lost to Bennett in 2023.
Incumbent Republican Council Member Mark Lane also lost his seat in Tuesday’s race. He was defeated by unaffiliated candidate Michael Woodcock by just four votes.
The results come after months of heated debate over a proposed data center across from the town hall.
In April, the town council unanimously passed a resolution opposing the project. But two months later, they reversed course after the developer promised Rural Hall could annex the property and collect tax revenue, should Forsyth County approve the plan. Critics accused town leaders of selling out.
Ultimately, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners rejected the data center plan.