Rural Hall Voters Unseat Mayor Over Data Center Dispute

Voters in Rural Hall unseated Mayor Terry Bennett and Council Member Mark Lane during Tuesday's municipal elections. The political turnover followed a contentious dispute regarding a proposed data center project that divided the local government and the community.

Unaffiliated candidate and former Council Member Susan Hawks Gordon defeated Bennett by approximately 180 votes in a rematch of the 2023 mayoral race. In a closer contest, unaffiliated candidate Michael Woodcock defeated Lane by four votes.

The election results reflect public dissatisfaction with a reversal by the town council. The council initially opposed the data center project in April but later shifted to support it after the developer offered the town the ability to annex the property for tax revenue. Despite the council's eventual support, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners ultimately rejected the data center plan.