Michael R. Nelson
Orange County Commissioner
In office
2006–2009
Mayor of Carrboro, North Carolina
In office
December 5, 1995 – December 6, 2005[1]
Preceded byEleanor Kinnaird
Succeeded byMark Chilton
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic Party
EducationUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Michael R. Nelson is an American politician who served as Mayor of Carrboro, North Carolina from 1995 to 2005 and as a county commissioner for Orange County from 2006 to 2009. Nelson, who is a co-founder of Equality North Carolina, was the first openly gay mayor in North Carolina. At the time of his inauguration, he was one of five openly gay mayors in the United States. When he left his mayoral office in 2005, he was the longest-serving mayor in Carrboro's history.

Early life

Mike Nelson grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina. His father was an attorney for the United States Marine Corps and his mother was a teacher.[2] He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,[2] and came out as gay his sophomore year.[3] He graduated in 1989 with a degree in political science and eventually became a production manager for a clothing manufacturing company in Chapel Hill.[2]

Political career

In 1987 Nelson managed Joe Herzenberg's successful campaign for election to the Chapel Hill Town Council.[4] He then decided to start his own political career in the nearby town of Carrboro, and in 1989 he sought election to the town's board of aldermen, losing by 30 votes.[2] In 1990 he participated in local campaign efforts for the Democratic Party and thereafter co-founded North Carolina Pride PAC for Lesbian and Gay Equality, a political action committee which lobbied for the repeal of North Carolina's anti-sodomy law.[3]

In 1993 he again sought election to the Carrboro Board of Aldermen and won with backing from the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.[3] During his tenure convinced the board to pass two measures to recognize domestic partnerships, including the offering of health benefits to domestic partners of town employees.[3][5] In 1995 he sought election as Mayor of Carrboro, downplaying his sexuality and focusing on environmental issues, development, and taxation. He defeated two other candidates in the November election,[6] earning almost 50 percent of the votes. Nelson was seated as Mayor on December 5, 1995. His inauguration made him one of five openly gay mayors in the United States at the time[3] and the first openly gay mayor in North Carolina.[7] In 1997 he and the aldermen agreed to purchase the building of the former Carrboro Baptist Church, which was subsequently turned into town offices and an events center.[8] The following year the town created a Fête de la Musique committee, with Nelson serving as a founding member.[9]

Nelson left office in 2005, departing as the longest-serving mayor in Carrboro's history.[10] The following year he was elected to a seat on the Orange County Board of Commissioners.[11] In 2007 he registered as a candidate for a seat in the North Carolina General Assembly, but withdrew when incumbent Eleanor Kinnaird announced her intention to seek re-election. In 2009 he announced his decision to not seek reelection to the county commission.[7] In 2017 he signed an open letter endorsing the Durham–Orange Light Rail Transit project.[12]

References

  1. ^ "AGENDA - 12_06_2005" (PDF). Town of Carrboro, North Carolina. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Mraz, Steve (August 24, 1998). "Young mayor mirrors Carrboro's diversity, wants 'hipper' image". Triangle Business Journal. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e Wallsten, Pete (December 6, 1995). "His honor, the openly gay mayor". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  4. ^ Lucas, Dawne Howard (December 2022). "Michael R. Nelson Papers, circa 1890-2012". Wilson Special Collections Library. UNC University Libraries. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  5. ^ Wildman, Sarah (June 20, 2000). "Winning the ballot battle". The Advocate. pp. 90, 93.
  6. ^ Podlogar, Alex (November 10, 1995). "Gays Applaud Nelson's Landmark Election". The Daily Tar Heel. Vol. 103, no. 106. p. 1.
  7. ^ a b Schwartz, Joe (October 13, 2009). "Nelson won't run for re-election in Orange". Indy Week. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  8. ^ Helvey, Jackie; Lester, Margot Carmichael (April 2011). "Becoming a Leader : Mike Nelson, and a Town, Come of Age" (PDF). Carrboro Citizen (Carrboro Centennial ed.). p. 13.
  9. ^ Helvey, Jackie (April 2011). "The Carrboro Scene : Building a Reputation in the Arts" (PDF). Carrboro Citizen (Carrboro Centennial ed.). p. 31.
  10. ^ Otto & Ellington 2015, p. 7.
  11. ^ Millen, Lainey (November 18, 2006). "North Carolina News Notes". Q-notes. p. 12.
  12. ^ Hodge, Blake (April 20, 2017). "Nine Current and Former Mayors of Chapel Hill, Carrboro Issue Letter Supporting Durham-Orange Light Rail". Chapelboro. Retrieved February 1, 2022.

Works cited


Political offices Preceded byEleanor Kinnaird Mayor of Carrboro 1995–2005 Succeeded byMark Chilton
Categories