Voters elect first Black mayor in historic Butner election: 'Didn't do a real cheer'

BUTNER, N.C. (WTVD) -- Fresh off the campaign trail and resting in her home in Butner Dr. Linda Jordon reflects on her race to become mayor.

"It was at 9:00 when I started getting phone calls saying congratulations," reflected Jordon.

It would take hours before Jordon realized she had beat out Butner's current mayor Terry Turner by just 14 votes.

"I didn't really do like a real cheer until later today when I really had time to really think about. I said, you know, this is actually for real. So then I started to get a little excited about it," she described.

Her victory is historic. Jordon becomes the town's first Black mayor. It's an achievement she didn't necessarily go seeking.

"I think it's an accomplishment for me and it represents the people that I represent. And I want to make sure that younger girls as well as boys understand that, you know, it doesn't matter what your skin color looks like" she continued.

Jordon served on the Town Council since Butner was officially incorporated and separated from the state in 2007. She said as mayor she wants to focus on growth and providing opportunities for the youth.

"We have a lot of children in the community. So I want to make sure that there are opportunities for kids to have a place to play in a safe environment."

Jordan has called the small town of just over 8,000 people home for nearly three decades.

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After years in corporate America, a battle with breast cancer, and becoming an entrepreneur as a leadership coach, Jordon is hoping to continue to make a difference in her community .

"I tell people every single day, you know, when you see something that you want, you go forward and you figure out what your strategy and your plan is to get there. And if you can help someone else along the way, then you do it."

Jordon will be sworn in next month.