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TRYON—With Election Day around the corner, the following information introduces the candidates running for mayor of Tryon.

The Town of Tryon operates under a manager/council form of government with an appointed town manager. The town council consists of a mayor and four council members serving as the town government’s policy-making body. The town manager manages the town’s day-to-day operations. 

Three candidates are running for mayor of Tryon.

Alan Peoples

Alan Peoples is the incumbent candidate for the mayoral position. He has over five decades of experience in education, public service, and coaching. Peoples is a former Polk County Commissioner and served as Tryon’s mayor from 2001 to 2013 and from 2015 to 2024. He also served in the National Guard and the United States Army Reserve.

 

Chrelle Booker

Chrelle Booker, the current mayor pro tempore of Tryon, has been a Tryon Board of Commissioners member since 2017. She made history as the first woman of color elected to the Tryon Town Council and the first woman to hold the position of mayor pro tempore in Polk County. Booker is involved in numerous national organizations and was a candidate in the primary race for governor of North Carolina in 2024.

 

Doug Arbogast

Doug Arbogast, a longtime resident of Tryon, is involved in the community and served on the town council for four years. He founded At Home Next Door, LLC, which provides in-home long-term care. Arbogast is a member of the vestry of Holy Cross Episcopal Church. 

 

A Tryon Candidates Forum will be held on Thursday, October 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Tryon Depot, 22 Depot St.