Mario Benavente
Council Member District 3
Mario Benavente
Council Member District 3
433 Hay Street
Fayetteville, NC 28301
(910) 635-5458 cell
MarioBenavente@FayettevilleNC.gov
While many Fayetteville residents know Mario Benavente’s reputation for community leadership and activism, they may not know Mario “Be” and his family are a great example of the American-dream-come-true and are a reflection of our city’s ethnic diversity. Not only is Benavente a true Fayetteville native and the son of a U.S. Army Veteran, he is also a first-generation U.S. American.
Over the years, Benavente’s Peruvian father provided multiple opportunities for other members of their family, including Benavente’s Korean mother, to move to and create new lives and opportunities in the States. Benavente largely gives his father credit for instilling in him the confidence and providing the strong foundation needed to pursue big dreams.
This proud E.E. Smith alumnus was the first person in his immediate family to have earned an undergraduate degree when he graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in Peace, War & Defense and Communications. He graduated from North Carolina Central University School of Law with his Juris Doctorate in May 2023.
Benavente also realized his dream of becoming an elected official serving Fayetteville’s City Council District 3 (now in his second term) –“paving the way for the next generation of community leaders to step up and take the reins of this city’s future,” as he shares.
Benavente’s extensive track record of volunteerism and activism illustrates his belief in community investment so well. He has served on the E.E. Smith Alumni Association Scholarship Committee and was Vice-Chair of the association's Board of Directors. He currently serves as the vice chair of Latinos United for Progress, is on the board of directors for Sweet Tea Shakespeare, and on the board of directors for the NC Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
He was also a founding member and the first chairman of the Fayetteville Millennial Advisory Commission.
“I am always conscious of the fact I owe my hometown my talents and am simply contributing my time, talents, and more to the greater good of the community I call ‘home,’” Benavente believes.
His campaign issues are a direct reflection of his love for Fayetteville, and his first objective is to address public safety by prioritizing community healing, restorative justice practices, and independent police oversight.
Benavente explains his stance on this issue when he states, “Fayetteville cannot expect one single department to solve every public safety issue. We have to be proactive in our approach and help heal those communities that are suffering the most from the increase in violent crime. Restorative justice practices are the way forward.”
Secondly, Benavente plans to focus on economic investment and support for our college graduates, entrepreneurs, and young families–thus recruiting and retaining next-generation talent. As he elaborates, “I see many people my age not wanting or knowing how to take the first step of action to bring about true, lasting change in their community.” Benavente prides himself on being the type of person who takes the first step and inspires others to champion causes and take action in tangible, impactful ways.
The third campaign issue Benavente will be addressing is socioeconomic equality in Fayetteville. His goals are to eliminate food deserts, prevent gentrification, ensure the availability of affordable housing, oversee responsible development of the Murchison Road Corridor, and improve economic mobility in Fayetteville. He strongly believes economic development ought to benefit the established community and not destroy it.
When asked what his overall goal is as a city council member, Benavente expresses his desire to build on the important work already done by previous generations and to secure the future for our residents’ children and grandchildren.