Greensboro 2025 City Council Guide: Quotes, Résumés, Spouses, and Who’s Funding the Campaigns
Important Note Up Front
Greensboro’s municipal elections are officially nonpartisan. No party labels appear on the ballot. However, North Carolina voter registration is public, so every candidate has a registered party. News outlets and voter guides routinely report these affiliations. Campaign-finance reports for these races are filed with the Guilford County Board of Elections. The final pre-election reports were due Oct 27, 2025; canvass is Nov 14. Detailed donor lists are not yet digitized on the state site, so only big-picture funding patterns can be summarized below.
A. With the marking device provided or a black ball point pen, completely fill in the oval to the left of each candidate or selection of your choice as shown.
B. Where authorized, you may write in a candidate by filling in the oval and writing the name on the Write-in line.
C. If you tear, deface or wrongly mark this ballot, return it to request a replacement.
Write-in
Write-in
Tap any name above ↑ for their website | 60-second scoop below
| MAYOR | Party | Bio | Top $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marikay Abuzuaiter | Dem | 14-yr council vet, Mayor Pro Tem, ex-owner Mahi’s Seafood | $210k → Police/Fire unions + east-side PACs |
| Robbie Perkins | GOP | Mayor 2011-13, 16 yrs council, NAI Piedmont Triad broker | $195k → Developers + Triad Good Govt PAC |
| AT-LARGE (pick 3) | Party | Bio | Top $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irving D. Allen | Dem | Glenwood Neighborhood chair | $45k grassroots |
| Richard Beard | GOP | Greensboro Sports Foundation president | $68k hotels |
| T. Dianne Bellamy-Small | Dem | School-board member, ex-council | $52k teachers |
| Hugh Holston (inc) | Dem | Greensboro Housing CEO | $79k housing nonprofits |
| Jamilla Pinder (inc) | Dem | East-Gso advocate | $61k churches |
| Denise Roth | Dem | Ex-city manager, Obama FHA | $94k managers |
| DISTRICT 3 | Party | Bio | Top $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zack Matheny (inc) | GOP | Downtown Greensboro Inc. CEO | $112k developers |
| April Parker | Dem | Bold 2B U founder, housing advocate | $71k Indivisible + DSA |
See every dollar yourself:
Guilford BOE Finance Portal → 2025 Municipal → Oct 27 PDF
Polls close 7:30 p.m. TONIGHT
Need a ride? Text 336-541-3836
Local elections shape everyday life—zoning, parks, sidewalks, stormwater, housing. Below you’ll find quick, candid snapshots of the Greensboro City Council candidates pictured above (Districts 1, 2, 3, 5 and the At-Large field): a quote in their own words, a résumé-style background, spouse details if publicly listed, and where to see who’s donating to their campaigns.
What a Greensboro City Council member does (quick refresher)
Greensboro has a council-manager government: the Council sets policy, passes ordinances, approves the budget, and oversees land use; a professional City Manager runs daily operations. Seats are either district (neighborhood-focused) or at-large (citywide). Ballotpedia
District 1 — Crystal Black
In her own words (campaign site):
“I will actively listen, elevate every voice, and make decisions that strengthen, not only District One, but the entire Greensboro community… build trust through transparency, fairness, and action—always providing results over promises.” Crystal Black For District 1
Résumé highlights:
Lifelong Greensboro resident; 20+ years of community work. Served on City boards including Solid Waste and Sustainability commissions; helped drive the Ad-Hoc Committee on African American Disparities. Programs include STEM in My City, Take Me Home, and Love Your Block. Crystal Black For District 1
Spouse: not publicly listed on her campaign pages. Crystal Black For District 1+1
Donors / finance: Search official reports via the Guilford County Candidate Finance Report Search (choose “Black, Crystal” and year) or the NC State Board of Elections campaign-finance portal. candidatereports.guilfordcountync.gov+1
District 2 — Cecile “CC” Crawford
In her own words (campaign site):
“I’m not running for power; I’m running because I love us… We deserve a city that puts people first.” cecilecrawford.com
Résumé highlights:
Program Director, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) – North Carolina; organizer on housing/eviction prevention; vice chair, Parks & Recreation Commission; alumna of NC A&T and UNCG. Led or supported tenant-rights funding and the Keep Gate City Housed coalition. cecilecrawford.com+1
Spouse: not publicly listed on her campaign/organization bios (site notes she’s a mother of two). cecilecrawford.com
Donors / finance: Check the County finance portal (“Crawford, Cecile Marie”) and the NCSBE search tools. candidatereports.guilfordcountync.gov+1
District 3 — April Parker
In her own words (campaign site):
“For 15 years, I’ve been advocating for change… I’ll be an accountable, accessible council member dedicated to our community’s well-being.” electaprilparker.com
Résumé highlights:
Librarian/educator, organizer, and small-business owner; platform emphasizes equity-driven growth, community safety, housing, and collaboration. electaprilparker.com
Spouse: not publicly listed on official bios. (UNC profile lists her as a Clinical Assistant Professor but does not include spouse details.) Inclusive TEAMS
Donors / finance: See “Parker, April” in the County finance portal and NCSBE tools. candidatereports.guilfordcountync.gov+1
District 5 — Tammi Thurm (incumbent)
In her own words (campaign site):
“Since elected in 2017, we’ve made great progress… I’ll be focused on public safety, expanding our housing stock, and improving parks and recreation.” electthurm.com
Résumé highlights:
District 5 councilmember since 2017; background as CFO/VP of Finance & Operations; service on boards incl. Jordan Lake One Water Alliance (Vice Chair), NC League of Municipalities board, Greensboro Downtown Parks, Inc., Transportation Advisory Council. electthurm.com
Spouse: Kevin (campaign bio lists that she lives in west Greensboro with her husband Kevin). Occupation not listed on campaign site. electthurm.com
Donors / finance: Look up “Thurm, Tammi” in the County finance portal and the statewide NCSBE search. candidatereports.guilfordcountync.gov+1
At-Large — Hugh Holston (incumbent)
In his own words (campaign site):
“I am a problem solver, not a politician… ‘Go B.I.G.—Believe in Greensboro’ will result in solutions that have positive outcomes for how every resident and business lives, works, and engages in Greensboro.” Hugh Holston
Résumé highlights:
At-Large councilmember; Senior Project Manager, Old North State Medical Society; prior leadership roles at Wells Fargo, AT&T, Lincoln Financial Group; former Chair of Planning & Zoning Commission and Board of Adjustment; trustee roles with UNC system boards and housing coalition leadership. Hugh Holston
Spouse: married to Olymphia (LeGrand) Holston; they have an adult son. (Occupation for spouse not listed on campaign site.) Hugh Holston
Donors / finance: See “Holston, Hugh” reports in the County portal and NCSBE search. A recent profile also notes his role as CEO of the Greensboro Housing Coalition at the time of reporting. candidatereports.guilfordcountync.gov+2ncsbe.gov+2
At-Large — Jamilla Pinder (appointed incumbent)
In her own words (A&T interview when sworn in):
“Never lose your voice… This is not about ‘me,’ this is about ‘we.’” North Carolina A&T State University
Résumé highlights:
Appointed in Feb. 2025 to fill the late Yvonne Johnson’s at-large seat; Director of Equity & Community Engagement, Cone Health Foundation; B.S. in Agribusiness & Food Industry Management (N.C. A&T). North Carolina A&T State University+1
Spouse: not publicly listed on university or foundation bios. North Carolina A&T State University+1
Donors / finance: Look up “Pinder, Jamilla” in the County portal and NCSBE tools. (Her official appointment and background are also summarized by A&T and local coverage.) candidatereports.guilfordcountync.gov+1
At-Large — Irving Allen
In his own words (campaign-launch interview):
“All we have is the person standing next to you… That’s enough. That’s all we need right now is each other.” The Assembly NC
Résumé highlights:
Community organizer with civil-rights roots; helped launch Thrive GSO (reentry/jobs) and helped form the city’s first Criminal Justice Advisory Commission; earlier at-large candidate (2017). The Assembly NC
Spouse: not publicly listed on campaign/profile pages available. The Assembly NC
Donors / finance: Check “Allen, Irving” in the County finance portal and NCSBE search. (Some sites may block direct viewing without form input; use the search boxes on the linked pages.) candidatereports.guilfordcountync.gov+1
Where to verify candidates on the ballot (and filing details)
Guilford County’s candidate filing list confirms who filed for each seat (Districts and At-Large). Guilford County
Where to see donors & spending (official sources)
Guilford County Candidate Finance Report Search — municipal candidates file here; pick the name/year to open PDFs of their reports. candidatereports.guilfordcountync.gov
NC State Board of Elections – Campaign Finance — statewide search options and guidance. ncsbe.gov
Note: Some committees process online contributions through ActBlue or similar platforms; the official reports above are the authoritative source for individual donors, amounts, and totals under NC law. (If a report isn’t posted yet, check again after the relevant reporting deadlines.) ncsbe.gov
Legal + accuracy note (NC real estate + general U.S. law)
All candidate quotes are from their official campaign pages or reputable local reporting and linked above. Spouse details are included only when publicly posted by the candidate or in a reliable institutional profile; where not listed, I’ve said so rather than infer. For donor specifics, readers can go to the official campaign-finance portals (above), which provide the authoritative records for contributions and expenditures.
