Harrison Kesling (Morrisville Town Council At-large, North Carolina, candidate 2025)

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Harrison Kesling

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Candidate, Morrisville Town Council At-large

Elections and appointments
Next election

November 4, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

North Carolina State University, 2017

Graduate

North Carolina State University, 2019

Personal
Birthplace
Wilmington, N.C.
Profession
Mechanical engineer
Contact

Harrison Kesling is running for election to the Morrisville Town Council At-large in North Carolina. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.[source]

Kesling completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

[1]

Biography

Harrison Kesling provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on September 13, 2025:

Elections

General election

The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.

General election for Morrisville Town Council At-large

Liz Dann, Harrison Kesling, and Subba Reddy Madireddy are running in the general election for Morrisville Town Council At-large on November 4, 2025.

Candidate
Liz Dann (Nonpartisan)
Harrison Kesling (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
Subba Reddy Madireddy (Nonpartisan)

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Kesling received the following endorsements. To view a full list of Kesling's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us additional endorsements, click here.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Harrison Kesling completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kesling's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Originally from Wilmington, NC, I moved to the Triangle Area to pursue engineering degrees at NC State University and have called Western Wake county home for the last 13 years, living in Southwest Raleigh, Cary, and now Morrisville.

I am running for Morrisville Town Council to build on the success the town has achieved and to help create a more connected, vibrant community where all residents can thrive.

As a professionally licensed mechanical engineer in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry, I have built a career designing energy-efficient, sustainable buildings. While earning my graduate degree, I studied renewable energy systems and helped facilities reduce their environmental impact. Today, I continue to focus on carbon reduction and sustainable development.

I am known as a thoughtful, detail-oriented leader and a creative problem solver who isn’t afraid to think outside the box. I am passionate about designing people-oriented places that strengthen community connections and improve everyday quality of life.

I am committed to being a voice for sustainability, innovation, and practical solutions that meet the needs of today without sacrificing the needs of future generations.
  • Morrisville’s growth must not come at the expense of our environment, infrastructure, or community well-being. I’ll advocate for sustainable development, tree canopy protection and expansion, and reducing the town’s carbon footprint.

    As your elected representative, I will work with my fellow council members to:

    Preserve and expand Morrisville’s tree canopy and green spaces.

    Promote sustainable development that protects natural resources and community well-being.

    Advance the implementation of Morrisville’s Master Sustainability Plan.

    Support the adoption of a Sustainable Development Code focused on walkability, climate resilience, and reduced car dependency.

    Encourage native landscaping and pollinator-friendly gardens.
  • Morrisville’s traffic congestion will not be solved by building more roads. The solution is designing a town where people can safely walk, bike, or ride transit. I’ll advocate for expanding our sidewalks, greenways, bike paths, and the Morrisville Smart Shuttle. As your elected representative, I will work with my fellow council members to: Expand Morrisville’s Smart Shuttle Program to make the service more accessible and dependable. Collaborate with the Town of Cary to coordinate and enhance our shared transportation network. Prioritize safe pedestrian routes for our children walking or bicycling to school. Expand sidewalk, bike path, and greenway infrastructure. Advocate for the rapid implementation of Bus Rapid Transit.
  • Our diverse community is our greatest strength, but can be weakened if not intentionally fostered. I’ll advocate for land use and investment that brings together residents of all ages and backgrounds, prioritizes vibrant public spaces, and supports local small businesses. As your elected representative, I will work with my fellow council members to: Protect and expand parks and shared public spaces. Promote land use that brings people together, supports local businesses, and reflects our town’s diversity. Design our new Town Center for all ages, with spaces welcoming to kids, teens, adults, and seniors. Support zoning that enables walkable, family-friendly, multi-generational, mixed-use neighborhoods.
I'm passionate about sustainable development: protecting our environment, expanding our tree canopy, and reducing our carbon emissions. This is related to the intersection of transportation and land use planning. Car-centric development brings more cars which pollute our environment and require more land to accomodate their usage with wider roads and parking lots. I care about walkability, but our default mindset around development makes this unattainable. Only through sustainable, mixed use, walkable development that limits travel by personnal vehicle can we achieve a sustainable future.
While the Town Council is not part of state government in a legislative sense, it plays a unique role by bridging residents’ everyday concerns with broader state and county frameworks. Decisions at the council level directly affect zoning, transportation, and community services, which often serve as models or considerations for county and state-level policy.
Integrity, accountability, and accessibility are the most important qualities for any elected official. Residents deserve to know that their representatives are transparent, make decisions rooted in fairness, and are willing to listen to the diverse voices that make up our community.
Serving on Town Council means being a steward of Morrisville’s growth and quality of life. Core responsibilities include setting the town’s budget, ensuring infrastructure and public safety meet the needs of a growing population, protecting green space, supporting small businesses, and planning responsibly for long-term development.
Many people don’t realize how much influence Town Council has over land use and development. Decisions on zoning, density, and design standards shape the character of Morrisville for decades. Council also plays a key role in negotiating with developers, advocating for transit funding, and ensuring our infrastructure keeps pace with growth.
Experience in government can be helpful, but it’s not essential. What matters most is a genuine commitment to public service, the ability to listen, and the skills to analyze complex issues. Fresh perspectives from people outside politics often bring creative solutions that career politicians might overlook.
Strong communication skills, financial literacy, and the ability to build consensus are vital. Given Morrisville’s diversity and rapid growth, it’s also helpful to have cultural competency, a grasp of urban planning basics, and the ability to evaluate how today’s decisions will affect future generations.
The Town Council is closest to the people—it’s the government body where residents can directly voice their concerns and see real, tangible outcomes. Unlike state or federal offices, this position allows for immediate, hands-on impact: fixing traffic flow, improving parks, supporting local businesses, and ensuring Morrisville remains a welcoming, thriving community.
Wake County Democratic Party

Donna Fender, Morrisville Town Council - District 2
Anne Robotti, Morrisvillle Town Council - District 1
Maria Cervania, NC House of Representatives - District 41
Democratic Municipal Officials

314 Action
An accomplishment I'm proud of most recently is guing the Triangle Chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to become award the Rudy Ferguson Memorial Award for best chapter in the region as the 2024-2025 Chapter President. ASHRAE is a technical engineering society that researches and spreads information and awareness of the latest technical standards in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. ASHRAE's vision is a healthy and sustainable built environment for all. I am proud to be a part of this organization and advancing sustainable building practices to our members here in the Triangle.

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See also


External links

Footnotes