We may not head to the polls to cast our votes until Tuesday, Nov. 8, for the statewide general election and municipal election, but the race is heating up in Raleigh. The filing period is officially closed, and now the candidates have been set. And before you flippantly close the tab, we implore you to get to know the field. Dig the local development? Hate it? Guess what—it’s the very people below who will be making those decisions for us over the next several years. And in our last municipal election in 2019, an abysmal 13% showed up to vote. Read that again: 13% of our residents are responsible for how our city has been managed and developed over the last three years. Wouldn’t you like to have a say? If you’re registered, please vote. And if you’re not, there’s still time. You have until 25 days prior to Election Day to register. In the meantime, start knowing the field and what’s at stake. We’ll see you at the polls, Raleigh.
The Race Is On
Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin, incumbent DaQuanta Copeland Terrance (Truth) Ruth
At-Large James Bledsoe Joshua Bradley Stormie Forte Anne Franklin Jonathan Melton, incumbent John Odom Portia Rochelle
District A Mary Black-Branch Whitney Hill Catherine (Cat) Lawson
District B Zainab (ZB) Baloch Minu Lee Jakob Lorberblatt Megan Patton Frank Pierce
District C Corey Branch, incumbent Frank Fields Wanda Hunter
District D Rob Baumgart Jane Harrison Todd Kennedy Jennifer Truman
District E Christina Jones David Knight, incumbent
We may not head to the polls to cast our votes until Tuesday, Nov. 8, for the statewide general election and municipal election, but the race is heating up in Raleigh. While the filing period doesn’t open until July (July 1–15), here is who has thrown their hat in the ring so far in races for mayor and city council. And before you flippantly flip the page, we implore you to get to know the field. Dig the local development? Hate it? Guess what—it’s the very people on these pages who will be making those decisions for us over the next several years. And in our last municipal election in 2019, an abysmal 13% showed up to vote. Read that again: 13% of our residents are responsible for how our city has been managed and developed over the last three years. Wouldn’t you like to have a say? If you’re registered, please vote. And if you’re not, there’s still time. You have until 25 days prior to Election Day to register. In the meantime, start knowing the field and what’s at stake. We’ll see you at the polls, Raleigh.
Here’s the way the Raleigh race is shaping up as of press time.
After an unprecedented 10 candidates threw their hats in the ring for Raleigh sheriff in front of the May 17 primary, the stage is now set for a runoff for the hotly contested seat. Emerging from the crowded field, Willie Rowe received just under the 30% of the vote required to edge out incumbent Gerald Baker (pulling 24% of the vote) and avoid a runoff. Per election rules, if no candidate reaches the threshold, the second-place contender can request a second primary. Should Baker request a runoff as expected (as of press time, he has neither requested nor conceded), we’ll head back to the polls July 26 (a date with historically dismal turnout) to determine the general election Democratic candidate. Meanwhile, former sheriff Donnie Harrison wants his old job back—and may just get it, winning the GOP primary by a landslide with a whopping 80% of the vote. Running on his passion for turning the office around, Harrison is so confident of his chances that he has already started assembling a team. “We are not waiting,” said Harrison after the May primary election. “We are going to win this thing, and when we win it, we are going to be ready to go.” Clearly, this is a race to watch as we head toward Election Day.
