The High Point City Council will get a lot more diverse very soon.

Once the newly elected members are sworn in, the council will have more minority and female representation as well as a new mayor who brings a youthful outlook to a job that’s typically held in High Point by those much older.

Four years ago, there was a lot of attention called to the fact that High Point voters elected four African-American candidates to the High Point City Council, and, now, in 2023, more history was made on Election Day, Tuesday, November 7:  Five black candidates won seats on the council – making the upcoming council the first High Point City Council to have an African-American majority.

The new council will also have more women in the seats, and – as for diversity of age – 31-year-old High Point Mayor-elect Cyril Jefferson beat Councilmember Victor Jones in the bid to replace High Point Mayor Jay Wagner, who didn’t run for reelection.

Jefferson is thought to be the city’s youngest mayor ever.

In another interesting twist, High Point’s new black mayor represents a majority-white electorate.

 That’s not the only infusion of diversity on the council.  The new council will have three women, after having only one – Monica Peters – for the last half-dozen years.

In the November 7 election, two At-Large High Point City Council seats went to incumbent Britt Moore and Amanda Cook.

In Ward 1, with the incumbent not running, Vickie McKiver was victorious.

In Ward 2 – also with the incumbent not running – at-large incumbent Tyrone Johnson won the ward seat.

As for Ward 3, incumbent Monica Peters will remain in that seat.

In Ward 4, Patrick Harmon will apparently be in that seat.  He seems to have beaten incumbent Wesley Hudson but that race was a very close one, and provisional votes and a potential recount might mean things could get interesting before it comes time to certify the vote count.

In Ward 5, with the incumbent not running, Tim Andrew took the seat, while, in Ward 6, incumbent Michael Holmes will keep that seat.