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Photo of Mario (Be) Benavente

Mario (Be) Benavente

NONPARTISAN

Mario (Be) Benavente is running for Fayetteville Mayor.

Personal background

Mario Benavente was born in Seoul, South Korea, and grew up in Fayetteville. He has bachelor's degrees in peace, war, and defense and communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also has a law degree from North Carolina Central University. He lives in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Professional background

Matio is an associate attorney for Rand & Gregory, focusing on family law and criminal defense.

Political background

Mario is a city council member for Fayetteville's District 3. He was first elected in 2022 and is serving his second term.

Economy

Plans to work with the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) to connect undocumented workers with resources on labor rights and protection against wage theft or unsafe conditions.

Plans to support targeted investments into youth after-school programs and childcare to help working families.

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Public Services

Proposed that the city maintain a multilingual resource guide, both online and in print, for housing, food, and legal assistance.

Proposed investing in "Know your rights" workshops and multilingual information campaigns so families understand their legal protections and how to access them.

Proposed collaborating with schools, libraries and recreation centers to establish spaces that offer tutoring, adult literacy and job training.

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Housing & Urban Development

Believes more needs to be done to ensure long-term stability in housing.

Said he will promote clear, written policies prohibiting discrimination in access to housing, public safety, and city programs.

Supports the creation of community housing trusts, allowing neighborhoods to manage properties collectively and protect them from large corporations.

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Public Safety

Supports gun control and expanding violence interruption programs.

Advocates for increased investment in youth programming, secure housing and economic opportunities to prevent crime.

As a city council member, created the Office of Community Safety to handle non-violent crises with an "alternative response team."

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Transportation & Infrastructure

As a city council member, supported investing in the Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST) as one of the top five priorities for the city.

Proposed expanding public transit service on nights and weekends, improving connections between neighborhoods and employment centers, and ensuring safe, accessible, and comfortable stops.

Believes in the importance of public transportation in daily life.

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Education

As of September 15, 2025, Mario (Be) Benavente’s website did not contain information on this issue.

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