Unexpectedly, DeDreana Freemana planning commission member and president of Durham’s InterNeighborhood Councilpolled ahead of longtime incumbent Cora Cole-McFadden, 48 percent to 43 percent. In the general election, we are once again endorsing Freeman. Cole-McFadden was a trailblazer in city government, as the first African-American woman to head a city department. However, we believe Ward 1 […]
The INDY Editorial Board
Posted inElections
The INDY Endorses Kathleen Ferguson and Jenn Weaver for Hillsborough Town Council
You don’t have much of a choice here: there are two candidates on the ballot seeking two seats. So Kathleen Ferguson and Jenn Weaver will prevail. Ferguson stresses transparency and accountability, while Weaver, a former public policy researcher, offers good ideas on housing and sustainability. They’ll both be fine.
Posted inElections
The INDY Endorses Dickie Thompson for Raleigh City Council District A
Two years ago, Dickie Thompson eked out a win in the city council’s only runoff election, besting Republican Eddie Woodhouse by a little more than a thousand votes. A Democratic ally of McFarlane and chairman of the Raleigh-Durham International Airport Authority, Thompson is a Raleighite through and through. He’s generally a pro-business vote, but he […]
Posted inElections
The INDY Endorses Russ Stephenson and Nicole Stewart for the Raleigh City Council At-Large Seat
We’ll get the easy one out of the way: longtime council member Russ Stephenson, an architect and urban planner, has more than earned reelection. He is smart, engaged, and progressive, and has long been a champion of equity. Now the hard part. With incumbent Mary-Ann Baldwin bowing out, six newcomers join Stephenson in seeking two […]
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The INDY Endorses the Raleigh Transportation Bond
In June, the city council voted unanimously to place a $206 million transportation bondpaid for by an annual property tax increase of $26 for a $200,000 homeon the ballot. City officials are pitching this as a way to keep up with Raleigh’s rapid growth, and they’re right. Yet another tax increase may be somewhat unpalatable, […]
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The INDY Endorses Stef Mendell for Raleigh City Council District E
The label “Midtown” fits comfortably now on Raleigh’s North Hills area, though it may have seemed a stretch when it was first introduced. Its chief presence in elective office is council member Bonner Gaylord, who’s running for a fifth term. Gaylord works as general manager of the former shopping mall known as North Hills, which […]
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The INDY Endorses Kay Crowder for Raleigh City Council District D
Kay Crowder has established her own distinctive place on the council after being appointed to the seat of her late husband, Thomas Crowder, in 2014. At times, Crowder has been almost reflexively anti-development, which isn’t always a good thing. Still, she’s balanced out some of the council’s more knee-jerk pro-growth representatives, and she opposed the […]
Posted inElections
The INDY Endorses Vernetta Alston for Durham City Council Ward 3
Ward 3 incumbent Don Moffitt has mostly been a good council member. He asks good questions about city finances and wants to leverage city property for affordable housing. But in this year’s contest, we think Vernetta Alston better reflects Durham’s values and identity. To put it simply, Moffitt hasn’t been as bold a leader as […]
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Vote, Dammit! The INDY’s 2017 Endorsements for the Raleigh, Durham, and Cary Municipal Elections
It’s easy to get riled up about Donald Trump. His briefbut somehow seemingly endlessreign, punctuated by nods to white supremacists and rank malfeasance, has served as a catalyst for protests and marches all over the country. But as much as Trump is a focal point of our collective animus, most of the decisions that affect […]
Posted inElections
The INDY Endorses Kenneth Presting for Cary Town Council District C
In District C, incumbent Jack Smith faces newcomer Kenneth Presting. Smith is the council’s longest-serving memberto mark his twenty-fifth anniversary on the council, his colleagues named a park after him in 2014and is now seeking his eighth term. In his lengthy service, Smith has distinguished himself as an advocate for preserving Cary’s small-town charm and […]