Kevin Drum filed first for mayor of Pinehurst on July 7, 2023. Drum, who has lived and worked in Pinehurst for 52 years, served the Village of Pinehurst through various civic bodies for more than six years before his election to the village council in 2017. Drum has a longstanding track record of leadership in historic preservation, land-use planning, project management and community outreach.
Orthopedic surgeon Jeff Morgan who retired holding the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army in 2017, has lived with his wife Laura in Pinehurst since 2012. Jeff Morgan practices surgery within the Veterans Services Administration, and later became a regional chief medical officer and, until recently stepping down, interim Chief Executive Officer.
Pat Pizzella moved permanently to Pinehurst in 2021 after serving in various federal government posts, including most recently as an assistant labor secretary in the Trump administration. During the Obama administration, Pizzella was appointed as a member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority.
Kevin Drum’s experience and track record as a steward of Pinehurst’s rich heritage is likely to appeal to local unbiased voters and small business owners. Drum is a business owner himself. He established the Drum & Quill pub in 2014. Drum married Dr. Jennifer Stoddard, a prominent kidney specialist, in 2011.
Jeff Morgan was elected to Pinehurst’s village council as a first-time candidate in 2021 after holding several leadership positions in Friend to Friend, a non-profit created to assist victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
If Morgan is elected mayor, his incomplete term as a village councilman would require a special appointment by the council. His term was scheduled to run through 2024.
Pat Pizzella and his wife have been homeowners in Pinehurst since 2012. He was elected to the Pinehurst village council in 2019. Pizzella was a proponent of barring homeowners in Pinehurst from placing their properties in short-term rental pools, which has been common in the area for decades due to a steady influx of golf tourism. Ultimately, the council voted to retain short-term rental rights for those currently renting while banning new rental properties from coming into the market.
Each of the three candidates is a registered Republican in Moore County.
Comments