Cyril Jefferson

Cyril Jefferson is the Democratic nominee challenging incumbent Addison McDowell in North Carolina's 6th Congressional District.[1][2] He is the mayor of High Point, first elected to the city council in 2019 and as mayor in 2023, and the founder of a social-innovation consulting firm.[1][2]

Jefferson was born in Utica, New York.[1] He attended North Carolina A&T State University and High Point University for undergraduate study, and his campaign biography describes him as a graduate of North Carolina A&T.[1] He is the founder and principal of Change Often, a social innovation firm that says it has helped invest more than $22 million in initiatives for small-business support, poverty alleviation and education.[1] He has also worked as an educator, education policy fellow, youth development consultant and motivational speaker, and has been affiliated with the United Way, the Chamber of Commerce, the Jaycees, the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative and the NAACP.[1]

Jefferson was elected to the High Point City Council Ward 1 seat in the 2019 nonpartisan election, defeating Willie Davis.[1] In the 2023 city elections he was elected Mayor of High Point; his campaign biography says he is the youngest person elected to that office.[1][2] He has received a National Distinguished Service Award and a Hunt State Policy Fellowship, according to his campaign biography.[1]

Jefferson launched his campaign for Congress in August 2025 and won the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary over Alysa Kassay, Keith Davenport and others.[2][1] According to his campaign biography, he is married to Raven and they have two sons.[1]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.