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Terry Michael Bennett
Office history
Current office and 2026 campaign
Terry Michael Bennett is the incumbent mayor of Rural Hall, North Carolina, serving a term that runs 2023-2026, and is the Republican candidate for re-election in the November 3, 2026 general election 1.
Editorial note -- same-name confusion. A 2018 obituary exists online for a different man, Terry Lee Bennett, who died in December 2018. That person is not the mayor of Rural Hall. Terry Michael Bennett is a sitting, living municipal official who has remained active in town governance through 2026 234.
Career
As mayor, Bennett has been the central figure in Rural Hall's multi-year debate over a proposed data center on Glade Street. In 2024, he convened a town-hall meeting after more than 100 residents objected to the project, pledging to keep residents informed about its environmental and traffic impact 2. The town council initially opposed the project, but in June 2026 it reversed course and passed a resolution supporting it, after the developer committed in writing that Rural Hall could annex the site and collect its tax revenue if the project moves forward 34. Bennett has also promoted business development in the town, including presiding over a 2024 ribbon-cutting for a new Love's Travel Stop that included a $5,000 donation to Rural Hall Elementary School 5.
Sources
Public filings
Candidates and officeholders are required by law to file campaign finance reports and statements of economic interest. The sites below don't support direct links to an individual record — search by last name on each.
North Carolina — campaign finance
- State, county, and municipal candidates — all in one system — NC State Board of Elections — Committee Search. Search by last name “Bennett”.
North Carolina — statement of economic interest
- Required for state-elected and many local officials — NC State Ethics Commission — Statement of Economic Interest Search. Search by last name “Bennett”.