Note: This article has been updated with comments from candidates.
With all precincts reporting by around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday night, Democratic candidates in the City of Wilmington had secured three council seats and the mayor's office by comfortable margins. If results hold, the city's elected leadership will be completely Democratic.
Mayor Bill Saffo won reelection to a tenth term. He defeated fellow Democrat Jonathan Barfield, Jr., a longtime county commissioner, and Republican challenger Billy Craig, a veteran law enforcement officer, by comfortable margins. In the three-way race, with Democratic voters clearly divided, Saffo won just shy of 50% of the vote, with twenty points over Craig, and nearly thirty points over Barfield.
Saffo received the New Hanover County Democratic Party's endorsement over Barfield as part of NHCDP's straw poll process. Sometimes called "mayor for life," Saffo is still the city’s longest-serving mayor.
On social media, Barfield offered a brief statement, writing, "I want to congratulate all of the winners in the Wilmington City Council race and congratulations to Mayor Bill Saffo. I’m looking forward to seeing great things for our community."
Winning candidates react
Council candidates J.C. Lyle, Cassidy Santaguida, and Chakema Clinton-Quintana took the top three spots for council, all within a percentage point of each other. All three were endorsed by the New Hanover County Democratic Party.
Santaguida told WHQR, "I am truly honored by the trust the voters placed in me, and grateful for the support of all those who volunteered for and supported my campaign. Thanks so much to my campaign team, family, and friends who worked so tirelessly for this victory. And, a shout-out to the other city council candidates who all ran positive, respectful campaigns. It gives me hope for the future of politics in our country."
Santaguida added that she understood voters expected change.
"The issues that drove my campaign are now more urgent than ever: the need to address the affordability of housing in our city, the need to protect our environment as we manage growth in our region, the need to address transportation and infrastructure issues, and the need for economic opportunities for everyone in our city. Dealing with these challenges and creating a bright future for Wilmington is the reason I ran for office, and I’m ready to get to work," she wrote.
Clinton-Quintana said she was, "extremely grateful for the results of election night. This campaign was never about me, it was about us. It’s about building a stronger, more connected Wilmington where everyone has a voice and a fair chance to thrive. I’m ready to work, listen, lead, and continue building a Wilmington we can all love and enjoy."
Other reactions from runners-up
Incumbent Republican Luke Waddell, who was the top vote getter when he won election to his first term on council in 2021, fell in fourth place. He trailed Clinton-Quintana by about a point, or just under 900 votes.
In a statement on Facebook, Waddell thanked his supporters and called serving as a councilman "one of the greatest honors of my life."
"While last night’s results were not what we hoped for, I respect the will of the voters. I congratulate the newly elected members of Council and I sincerely wish them wisdom and strength as they take on the responsibility of leading our city. Their success is Wilmington’s success, and I want them to do well." Waddell wrote.
Waddell left the door open for the possibility of future public service.
"My commitment to Wilmington does not end here. This is my home. I will continue to be involved, to help where I can, and to support efforts that make our city stronger, safer, and more vibrant," he wrote.
Waddell was followed by Republican Richard Collier. Both had party support from the New Hanover County GOP and significant fundraising: Waddell raised over $132,000, and Collier raised over $85,000, considerably more than the contributions brought in by Democratic candidates.
Collier wrote on social media that, while the election results weren't "what we hoped for," he remained proud of the campaign, calling it "a positive, issue-focused effort grounded in practical solutions drawn from my experience as a civil engineer to fix what’s broken in our city."
Collier thanks his supporters and volunteers, and also added, "I remain optimistic about Wilmington’s future and wish the newly elected and current members of City Council nothing but success as they continue to lead our community forward."
Two-term incumbent Democrat Clifford Barnett, who did not receive a party endorsement, and Republican Kelly Roberts, who only received his party’s support in the final weeks, fell toward the bottom of the list. Republican Sean Guerrero, who was endorsed by the NHCGOP early on, cancelled his campaign due to personal reasons.
Party reactions
In a statement, New Hanover County Republican Party Chairman John Hinnant congratulated the winning candidates, adding that the party was proud of its slate, though they knew that they were at a numerical disadvantage in terms of voter registrations.
"A huge challenge we faced was getting the voters out, and we did, but we fell short of our projected goal. This was not for a lack of effort. We knocked on close to 6,000 doors and executed a multimedia messaging campaign that included thousands of text messages. For example, we knew we needed a minimum of 12,500 votes to re-elect Luke Waddell. In recent history, NO municipal candidate has received more than 10,000 votes for a seat on the city council. Last night, 4 candidates exceeded that number, a testament to efforts made by both parties and their respective volunteers," Hinnant wrote.
"Unfortunately, it seems as if some local Republican voters have given up on our city and that level of apathy cost us dearly. So it is imperative for New Hanover County voters to TRULY understand that local is everything: our state and national Republican elected officials need us to deliver victories at the local level. Therefore, as Chairman of the New Hanover County Republican Party, I will continue to strive to achieve that; to deliver in the midterms at both the local and state level. Our work is cut out for us but we are ready, more than we have ever been," Hinnant added.
New Hanover County Democratic Party Chair Jill Hopman called the 2025 City of Wilmington race a "fascinating, intense, difficult, strategic, thrilling, seemingly endless, ultimately wonderful election cycle." Hopman said she was proud of her slate and the NHCDP's efforts to make it successful.
This is the second time the local Democratic party has used a straw poll to whittle down its slate for the city, which is technically non-partisan, but still sees significant involvement from both local parties. In 2023, the NHCDP's initial use of the straw poll garnered criticism, but the party's slate won all three seats on council; this year's repeat sweep means Democrats now hold all council seats and the mayor's office.
Voter turnout was up this year from 2023. Early voting boomed by roughly 50% for races across New Hanover County, and overall was up by about 6 points, with over 6,000 more ballots than the last round of elections for Wilmington and the beachtowns.
While the margins for the preliminary results don’t support any clear opportunities for recount requests, the vote totals will not be final until the canvass next Friday, November 14. That’s when the county’s election board approves a final vote tally — a process that has shifted the election outcome in the past.
