The INDY’s 2024 General Election Endorsements

Dear INDY readers and voters,

Below, you’ll find our 2024 general election endorsements for all local races on voters’ ballots. Our endorsements in this election follow a 40-year history of the INDY making candidate recommendations to voters, and we are happy to be able to continue the publication’s longstanding tradition. 

These include races for U.S. congressional districts that cover the Triangle, state house and senate seats in Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties, the local judiciary, county commissioners, school board members, a special election in Carrboro, and in Raleigh, mayoral and city council seats. 

There are other important offices and considerations on voters’ ballots as well: registers of deeds and soil and water conservation district supervisors, plus numerous municipal and county bond referenda. We’ve weighed in on them all. 

As always, we’ve adhered to a rigorous process when making these endorsements. INDY’s team of writers and editors rely on our own reporting, public records, and other publicly available information to make these decisions. When endorsing candidates, we consider factors such as individual skill sets, past experience in governing and civic life, incumbents’ achievements while serving in office, and volunteer experience. We work hard to recommend the best candidates for the job. 

It’s no doubt been impressed upon you by now that this is a crucial election. While we are no longer making endorsements in statewide and national races, we urge voters to seek out good information on top-of-the-ticket candidates to help inform their decisions.

Early voting begins this week on Thursday, October 17, and runs through November 2. While voters must be registered to vote before Election Day on November 5, voters can still register to vote during the early voting period. They may cast ballots at any early voting location in their county of residence. 

Additionally, voters will need to bring a photo ID to the polls: a driver’s license, a passport, a DMV-issued state ID, a county board of elections–issued photo ID card, an approved college- or university-issued student ID, or an employee ID for state or local government or a charter school. 

Included with this endorsements package is our clip-out voting guide, a list of every candidate we’ve endorsed this election. Cut it out of the paper and bring it with you to the polls or pull up the PDF on your phone as you head into the voting booth. All of our election reporting—reported stories, candidate questionnaires, endorsements, and more—is available here. On election night, we’ll host a live blog on our site to bring you results and scenes from around the Triangle in real time. 

We urge all of our readers to make a plan to vote in the next few weeks and get out to the polls. Thank you for looking to the INDY to help inform your decisions this election cycle.

Jane Porter
Editor in chief

U.S. Congress

Deborah Ross has been a force in North Carolina politics since 2002. From her decade-long tenure in the state house, where she worked to protect voting rights, fund transit and transportation projects, expand access to affordable housing, and raise the minimum wage, to her current position representing the 2nd Congressional District, Ross has consistently fought for the values that are important to her progressive constituents. 

In Congress, Ross has sponsored bills advocating for women’s health and safety, bolstering cybersecurity, protecting child abuse survivors, and assisting veterans. Her first term has seen several legislative successes: 11 bills she introduced were signed into law, including legislation that increased funding for sexual assault nurse examiners and boosted North Carolina’s offshore wind energy potential. Ross has also helped secure millions of dollars for the district—for RDU International Airport, a new transit hub in the Research Triangle Park, and a $400 million EPA grant to address the climate crisis and support conservation in the state. 

We endorse Ross for another term.  

Other candidates: Alan Swain (R), Michael Dublin (G)

---

U.S. House District 4

Valerie Foushee (D)

A Chapel Hill native, Valerie Foushee spent decades advocating for public education, environmental protections, criminal justice reform, and civil rights—as a school board member, a county commissioner, and a state legislator—before joining Congress in 2022. In her first term as a congresswoman, Foushee has continued that work, sponsoring bills to fund gun violence research and introducing legislation that would require the EPA to study the effects of forest biomass consumption.

Like her colleague Deborah Ross, Foushee has brought federal money to the district. This summer, she helped secure a $12 million grant to fund improvements to Durham roads. And just this month, in partnership with Durham Tech, Foushee announced more than $600,000 to pay for a new affordable housing initiative. 

We have qualms with Foushee’s decision to visit Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu this spring without disclosing the trip to constituents beforehand. But Foushee is the clear choice in this race over her Republican challenger, Eric Blankenburg, who has no prior experience in local or state politics and perennial Libertarian candidate Guy Meilleur.

Other candidates: Guy Meilleur (L), Eric Blankenburg (R)

---

Frank Pierce, a Democrat and owner of a landscaping company who grew up in Southeast Raleigh, is trying to win a previously competitive district now drawn into one that’s largely conservative. 

We like Pierce’s focus on education—he says the federal government needs to keep its promise to fully fund its Title 1 obligations to special-needs students and teachers. We agree! And we like Pierce’s commitments to protecting reproductive freedom, defending voting rights, and ending gerrymandering. 

We don’t like that Pierce’s opponent, Republican Brad Knott, is unwilling to stand up to Donald Trump’s election lies and spent his primary trying to prove to voters that he was the most conservative option. We find it funny (though not for Knott’s potential future constituents) that he doesn’t even live in the district. A former federal prosecutor, Knott also voted from an address—his childhood home—at which he didn’t live for 13 years. He calls it an oversight; NC General Statutes call that a felony. To echo one of his primary opponents: he’s simply Knott a good choice. 

We endorse Frank Pierce.

Other candidate: Brad Knott (R)

back to the top

N.C. State Senate

This election cycle features eight competitive state Senate seats and 12 competitive state House seats across Wake, Durham, and Orange Counties. Several more House and Senate races are not competitive—see our voter guide for our endorsements.

A longtime civil rights attorney, Lisa Grafstein brings a wealth of experience in advocating for marginalized communities to her role in the state senate. In the last legislative session, Grafstein sponsored 25 bills, including legislation codifying the right to use contraception and enabling local governments to enact rent control. Grafstein has also introduced legislation to strengthen consumer protections and improve access to mental health services, and her platform prioritizes women’s health care and reproductive freedom, workers’ rights and fair wages, expanded access to affordable housing, and support for public school teachers and students.

Grafstein’s challenger Scott Lassiter, a vice chair of the Wake County Soil and Water Conservation District and former Apex Town Council member, works as assistant principal at the Raleigh middle school Connections Academy. Lassiter recently spent a month suspended without pay as officials investigated his role in intervening in a fight between students. He was reinstated last week but is now taking “vacation time,” as The News & Observer reported, and Wake County Public Schools has said that it disputes Lassiter’s account of the events. 

That mess, plus Lassiter’s support of extremist candidates Michelle Morrow and Mark Robinson, add up to a hard pass. We strongly endorse Grafstein. 

Other candidates: Susan Hogarth (L), Scott Lassiter (R)

---

A fixture in North Carolina politics for more than four decades, Dan Blue served as state house speaker in the 1990s and is currently the senate Democratic leader after joining the higher chamber in 2009. Blue has been a consistent champion of public education, economic growth, and health care accessibility. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, Blue sponsored a bill to codify Roe and Casey maternal health care protections into state law, and he’s said that stopping the expansion of private school vouchers is his top priority. Blue works hard for the district, too. Last year, he sponsored a local bill that would allocate more than $4 million for public projects in Wake County. 

Wake Forest resident Angela McCarty’s top priority if elected is “school safety pertaining to gun violence and drugs,” and posts on her campaign Facebook page emphasize “school choice.” 

Blue’s record of leadership—he cites as recent achievements expanding Medicaid, reopening schools safely following the COVID pandemic, and passing legislation to reduce carbon emissions—makes him the obvious choice in this race. 

Other candidates: Angela McCarty (R), Sammie Brooks (L)

---

A state senator since 2016 and the current Democratic whip, Jay Chaudhuri is focused on supporting public education and economic innovation. He has championed legislation to expand pre-K programs, study cell phone use in schools, and increase funding for renewable energy projects. Before joining the senate, Chaudhuri served as special counsel to then attorney general Roy Cooper and led a nationwide coalition of attorney generals to protect minors on social media sites Facebook and MySpace. Additionally, he served as special counsel and senior policy adviser to former treasurer Janet Cowell and, in that role, recovered almost $100 million for pension funds and helped establish the state’s first Innovation Fund to support and invest in North Carolina businesses. Chaudhuri also has a record of bipartisan cooperation, sponsoring a bill with Republicans that required high school students to take financial literacy and economics classes as a graduation requirement. 

Chaudhuri’s opponent David Bankert is a retired electrical engineer who describes himself as a conservative constitutionalist. His priorities include working for “transparency and accountability in government and media” and “bringing manufacturing back to the U.S.” 

We endorse Chaudhuri for another term.

Other candidates: Kat MacDonald (L), David Bankert (R)

---

Sydney Batch represented House District 37 before losing the seat to Republican Erin Paré in 2020. Governor Cooper then appointed Batch to the state senate seat in January 2021 following Sam Searcy’s resignation. A family law attorney, Batch’s legislative priorities include advocating for increased funding for public schools and affordable health care. While in office, Batch has worked on legislation related to child welfare, public safety, and support for families and small businesses. She sponsored legislation that would provide paid family leave insurance to every North Carolinian and was successful in getting a bill to protect children from abuse signed into law in 2021. Batch has a proven record as someone who will support the most vulnerable North Carolina residents. She is the clear choice in the race.

Other candidate: Patrick Bowersox (L)

---

Terence Everitt has served in the state house since 2019 and, in that role, he’s advocated for preserving access to reproductive rights, government transparency, public education, and criminal justice reform. In the last legislative session, Everitt cosponsored a bill to codify the reproductive freedom protections of Roe and Casey and introduced legislation to make lawmakers’ documents public record, ensure that there’s a nurse in every public school, and clarify the law around felons’ voting rights. 

Ashlee Adams says she would “champion fiscal conservatism and the importance of strong familial bonds.” She has no political experience and no concrete plans for her time in office but is running on a boilerplate GOP platform: school choice, limited government, and “conservative values.”

Everitt might be best remembered from this past session for being relegated to a janitor’s closet in the legislative building after asking the Wake County DA to investigate house speaker Tim Moore for allegedly having an affair with a state employee. We applaud Everitt for making the best of that situation, but mostly for his work on the issues we care about. We endorse him for the state senate seat.

Other candidates: Brad Hessel (L), Ashlee Adams (R)

---

Natalie Murdock, who’s running for her third term in the state senate, is one of the hardest-working lawmakers in the general assembly. She was the primary sponsor of 30 bills in the most recent legislative session, including several local proposals to fund roads and facilities in her Durham district and bills supporting women and mothers, including the MOMnibus Act to support maternal health care and legislation to provide funds to local Diaper Banks to distribute menstrual care products to those in need.

Christopher Partain, the Republican candidate, served as a police sergeant in Cabarrus County and has a platform that emphasizes deregulating alcohol distribution and legalizing marijuana, distinguishing his priorities from those of his party. Those Libertarian-leaning ideals won’t be enough to unseat Murdock. She has been a steadfast supporter of issues Durham voters care about, such as expanding access to public transportation, strengthening economic development initiatives, and bringing down the costs of health care. We endorse her for another term.

Other candidate: Christopher Partain (R)

---

Sophia Chitlik toppled a political behemoth when she unseated longtime state senator Mike Woodard in the March Democratic primary. Now, she looks poised to inherit a seat that has largely gone unchallenged since Woodard first occupied it in 2012. This year, there is no Republican challenger and Chitlik’s Libertarian opponent, Ray Ubinger, has never won more than 3 percent of the vote since he first ran for this seat in 2018. During her campaign, Chitlik ran on a platform focused on supporting maternal health care and affordable childcare, important issues in a state where women’s access to both is often in jeopardy, and important issues to her personally as an investor in women-led companies and nonprofits.

Once in office, Chitlik will need to work across the aisle if she wants to move the needle on her detailed progressive platform. If she’s as good at talking to Republicans as she is to the voters of Durham she convinced to elect her in the primary, she’ll be able to make a difference again. Chitlik has our endorsement.   

Other candidate: Ray Ubinger (L)

---

It’s tough being a progressive Democrat when the GOP has a supermajority in the legislature, but Graig Meyer, who was first elected to the state house in 2013 and joined the senate in 2022, has become a formidable advocate for various causes, including increasing government transparency and legalizing marijuana. Meyer was the primary sponsor of more than a dozen bills in the most recent legislative session; most of those stalled in committee, but when cannabis is legalized in North Carolina in the next few years, Meyer will have had a lot to do with it. The sponsor of the Marijuana Justice and Reinvestment Act with Senators Chaudhuri and Murdock, Meyer is clear-eyed about how drug prohibition criminalizes minority and working-class North Carolinians. And when his GOP colleagues gave themselves the power to conceal records from the public, Meyer responded by releasing 140,000 of his emails, demonstrating a true commitment to transparency in conducting the people’s business. Meyer has successfully passed legislation that helps children and families, including bills that help families save money to care for children with disabilities and set up guardianships for aging adults, as well as legislation to reduce the cost of home mortgage processing. 

Meyer has our endorsement over Laura Pichardo, the former treasurer of the Caswell Republican Party. 

Other candidate: Laura Pichardo (R)

back to the top

N.C. house

This election cycle features eight competitive state Senate seats and 12 competitive state House seats across Wake, Durham, and Orange Counties. Several more House and Senate races are not competitive—see our voter guide for our endorsements.

---

Before Ray Jeffers was elected to the state house in 2022, he served as a Person County commissioner for over a decade, experience that would have familiarized him with the needs of the largely rural district. One such need? Broadband, and as a county commissioner, Jeffers helped bring 52 miles of fiber to Person County. Jeffers continues that work in the state house, where he sponsored the Rural Broadband Transformation Act. He also sponsored bills to help struggling farmers, manage invasive species, and establish veterinarian telemedicine programs for livestock in the state’s Department of Agriculture.  

Jeffers’s opponent, Jason Chambers, has no prior political experience. Chambers says he supports medical marijuana use, which is good, but also school vouchers, which siphon hundreds of millions of dollars from public schools into private schools, which is not.

Jeffers has years of political experience and understands the unique needs of his District 2 constituency. We endorse him for another term. 

Other candidate: Jason Chambers (R)

---

Allison Dahle has represented District 11, a reliably left-leaning district that encompasses NC State University’s campus, since 2018. The vice chair of the Elections and Ethics Law Committee, Dahle has been effective on legislation related to elections and voting, sponsoring the Bipartisan Elections Act in 2020, which ensured voting was safe during the COVID pandemic. This legislative session, Dahle sponsored a bill to make voting easier by expanding early voting hours and allowing online voter registration.  

Philip Hensley, a Cary business owner whose qualifications, according to his website, include “Archon of Pi Kappa Phi–Kappa Chapter, the same fraternity of the young men who protected the American flag earlier this year during the UNC campus protests,” doesn’t have a detailed platform. 

We endorse Dahle. 

Other candidates: Philip Hensley (R), Matthew Kordon (L)

---

Ya Liu, a faculty member at Duke Law School with doctoral degrees in sociology and law, was first elected in 2022 after serving on the Cary Town Council for four years. Liu has an impressive résumé as a public servant, even for her short time in office, as a sponsor of more than 200 bills, with several signed into law. Notable achievements include legislation to keep siblings together in foster care and a bill supporting child advocacy centers. 

As we noted in 2022, Liu also has a compelling personal story. She moved to the United States two decades ago with almost nothing and a limited command of English in pursuit of the American Dream. 

We endorse Liu over Mary Miskimon, an Apex small business owner who says she “supports law enforcement” and an “all of the above approach to energy.”

Other candidate: Mary Miskimon (R)

---

Monika Johnson-Hostler, a current Wake County school board member of 11 years and executive director of the NC Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NC CASA), is running to fill the seat of long-serving District 33 Democrat Rosa Gill, who plans to retire this year. Like Gill, Johnson-Hostler is a staunch advocate for public education and, on the school board, she helped secure school construction bonds and spearheaded several student equity- and achievement-focused initiatives. As an advocate for survivors, Johnson-Hostler worked on policy at the federal level to protect victims of human trafficking and domestic violence and served on committees under former president Barack Obama and attorney general Eric Holder. She contributed significantly to the federal government’s 2022 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. We’re excited to see what Johnson-Hostler could achieve in these areas in the house and endorse her over Libertarian Chris Costello.

Other candidate: Chris Costello (L)

---

Attorney Tim Longest is still getting his bearings in his first term in the state house, and we like where he’s focused his attention. Longest has sponsored bills expanding domestic violence protections, supporting working families, addressing PFAS in waterways, expanding tenants’ rights, and protecting sea turtles. And he spoke out on the house floor in favor of protecting the state’s redbud trees from clear-cutting for billboards during a veto override vote.  

Libertarian Ed George doesn’t support paying public school teachers more—he says they should get only an adjustment for inflation—and says state money should follow students to private schools. 

That distinction is more than enough for us to endorse Longest for a second term. 

Other candidate: Ed George (L)

---

Democrat Evonne Hopkins is a family law attorney with a record of advocacy for families and children navigating high-conflict situations. She owns her own law practice in North Raleigh, and we appreciate her platform of strong support for reproductive rights—protecting access to abortion, contraception, and IVF—and support for teachers and opposition to private school vouchers. We also appreciate that Hopkins says her top focus is on the needs of her district: infrastructure, housing, and the economy.

Hopkins’s opponents are two men named Mike. Michael Oakes, the Libertarian candidate, has one of the worst positions on abortion we’ve ever heard (full ban, no exceptions), and Republican Mike Schietzelt helped write an amicus curiae brief pushing for the overturn of Roe v. Wade. No thanks, Mikes. Vote for Hopkins. 

Other candidates: Michael Oakes (L), Mike Schietzelt (R)

---

A former PTA president who served as a substitute teacher amid pandemic-era staff shortages in Wake County schools, Julie von Haefen is a vocal advocate for public education who has worked to increase education funding, improve school safety, and expand access to early childhood education since joining the state house in 2019. She has also fought for Medicaid expansion and advocated for legislation that would hold corporate polluters accountable for environmental restoration efforts. As the fifth most likely lawmaker to vote against the majority Republican Party, von Haefen doesn’t have a ton of legislative achievements to her name. But she is visible, vocal, and fights for what she believes in, and we respect that.    

Von Haefen’s challenger Becki Allen is a stay-at-home mom from Cary who wants to ban abortion and backs the “parental rights” movement. We’re endorsing von Haefen. 

Other candidates: Travis Groo (L), Becki Allen (R)

---

Erin Paré is the only Republican in the legislature’s Wake County delegation and an effective lawmaker. Last year, Paré successfully got a bill passed that changed the way Wake County commissioners are elected—from countywide to district-wide—upping Republicans’ chances of winning back seats on a board from which they’ve largely been shut out. This year, somewhat surprisingly, Paré single-handedly blew up the GOP’s mask ban bill. While that pleased those among us who understand how virus transmission works, voters shouldn’t be fooled—there’s nothing moderate about Erin Paré. 

She voted for the 12-week abortion ban and was a primary sponsor on a bill banning trans students from playing sports. While she talks about wanting to raise pay for public school teachers and staff, she’s also a staunch supporter of private school vouchers (it’s pretty clear by now that we can’t actually have both). Most telling, perhaps, is that Paré pals around with Michele Morrow and Mark Robinson. “He’s a great man, powerful speaker, and outstanding person,” she said of the GOP gubernatorial hopeful. The constituents of House District 37 deserve better. 

Luckily, there’s a strong opponent in Safiyah Jackson, a former educator and current chief strategy officer for the NC Partnership for Children, a nonprofit that oversees the state’s Smart Start initiative. Jackson’s campaign centers on investing in North Carolina’s children: she wants to reinstate the state’s child tax credit, protect the environment for future generations, and bring the state into compliance with the Leandro decision.

We think Jackson is the better choice. 

Other candidates: Erin Pare (R), Christopher Robinson (L)

---

A retired judge who spent more than two decades in North Carolina’s judiciary, and who also served four years as the director of the NC State Bureau of Investigation crime lab, Joe John brings a valuable range of experience to the general assembly. Since he was elected in 2016, John has focused his energies on preserving the independence of the judiciary and abolishing partisan gerrymandering. A number of bills John has cosponsored have been signed into law this session, including a bipartisan bill to fund capital projects at UNC, bipartisan legislation to address predatory real estate deals, and a bipartisan bill to maintain adult developmental and vocational rehabilitation programs. 

John’s challenger Jerry Doliner, a retired small business owner, specifically opposes building light rail in North Carolina (which is largely off the table anyway) and includes this on his campaign website: “Nationwide there were about 50,000,000 abortions from 1973-2011. Would we need illegal immigrants here if we had not killed 50,000,000 babies?” We think the choice here is clear: vote for John. 

Other candidates: Jerry Doliner (R), Mike Munger (L)

---

A former member of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, Maria Cervania has been putting in the work to represent her community for years. The one-term incumbent came out swinging this year when the UNC System Board of Governors voted to eliminate DEI programming, warning that the elimination would harm the state’s strength as a business hub. In the house, Cervania sponsored a resolution to encourage Congress to have a closer working relationship with Japan—a country that’s investing heavily in North Carolina—that was adopted. We appreciate Cervania’s focus on North Carolina’s economy and on its residents’ quality of life. 

Libertarian Matthew Laszacs has ideas about an education overhaul, but we’re not convinced by his approach. We endorsed Cervania in 2020 and 2022, and we’re happy to do it again this cycle. 

Other candidate: Matthew Laszacs (L)

---

As a freshman legislator, Allen Buansi is still building his influence in the general assembly, but in the state house he’s working on many of the same issues he prioritized on the Chapel Hill Town Council. In his first term in the house, Buansi has cosponsored legislation to expand affordable housing options and strengthen tenants’ rights. His work on the House Judiciary Committee has focused on reforms to make the justice system more equitable and efficient. 

We endorse Buansi for a second term over Jeffrey Hoagland, an engineer who has twice unsuccessfully run for a seat on the Chapel Hill Town Council.

Other candidate: Jeffrey Hoagland (R)

---

The CEO of Raleigh’s Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities, which serves children, adults, and families, Sarah Crawford is running for her second term in the state house (she also served a term in the senate). In the house, Crawford sponsored a bipartisan bill to maintain adult developmental and vocational rehabilitation programs and a bill to make child advocacy centers eligible to receive state funds. Both were signed into law. Crawford has been a reliable supporter of women’s health care and access to abortion, sponsoring a provision to gather more detailed information from state-funded crisis pregnancy centers and consistently voting against the many Republican bills in the senate and house attempting to restrict access. 

Michael Nelson has unsuccessfully run for the state house in the last four elections. He supports school choice and abolishing the ABC licensing system and wants more affordable housing. We’re endorsing Crawford. 

Other candidate: Michael Nelson (L)

back to the top

Durham county

The Durham City Council added two bonds to voters’ ballots for city residents to consider this November: one to improve Durham’s parks, and the other to improve Durham’s streets and sidewalks.

The sidewalk bond would provide $115 million to complete over 12 miles of sidewalks and 20 miles of sidewalk repairs, repave 100 miles of streets and add traffic-calming measures, and pave nearly 11 miles of gravel streets. The project areas are spread throughout Durham, but some target areas include funding a multiuse path along Hillandale Road, building sidewalks along East Club Boulevard, and bringing access to GoDurham’s popular Route 9 to the Bragtown community. 

The parks bond would provide $85 million to rejuvenate East End and Long Meadow Parks and build a new aquatic center at Merrick-Moore Park next to the Wheels Roller Rink. The new pool would replace the pool at Long Meadow that closed.

The bonds are a good deal for residents. At the highest end, a possible tax increase would be 3.46¢ for each $100 of assessed value, which, for the average home in Durham works out to about nine dollars extra a month, or a little over $100 a year, if both bonds pass. 

As Durham grows, its public infrastructure has to grow with it to ensure all residents can access green space and do so safely, no matter how they choose to get there. Improving parks and streets aligns with the city’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and provide recreational opportunities for Durham’s youth.

With little financial burden for Durham residents, we believe voting for both bonds is a win for the Durham community.

back to the top

orange county

This is the only competitive race for a seat on the Board of County Commissioners this cycle. Two noncompetitive races are also on the ballot in which we have made endorsements (see the clip-out voter guide). 

The Orange County Board of Commissioners unanimously appointed Phyllis Portie-Ascott to a vacant seat on the board in February of last year after former member Renée Price was elected to the state house. The former vice chair of the Orange County Democratic Party, Portie-Ascott has done a good job so far leveraging existing relationships with other local officials and engaging with the community on the vision for the Greene Tract. We like her ideas about bringing down home prices—incentivizing development with tax credits, supporting home buyers with down-payment assistance, and preserving existing housing—as well as her support for tenants’ protections. We are excited to see what Portie-Ascott would do with a full term. 

Her opponent, H. Nathan Robinson (who lives in a renovated log cabin and supports bike lanes), seems like a fine person. A member of the Orange County Board of Adjustment, Robinson previously tried to get on the ballot as an independent in 2022. His campaign, on the Republican ticket this year, is focused on bringing attention to the fact that the Democrat-dominated board of commissioners doesn’t represent all of Orange County and would benefit from more discourse. Fair enough!

Still, we’re endorsing Portie-Ascott. 

Other candidate: H. Nathan Robinson

---

The special election to fill the seat left vacant by now mayor Barbara Foushee features two good candidates who both seem to have Carrboro’s best interests at heart. Both Cristóbal Palmer and Isaac Woolsey have emphasized the need to improve transit, make housing more affordable, and address the climate crisis. In a town as liberal as Carrboro, the single vote on the seven-member council is unlikely to herald any major policy shifts. 

But local governance matters, and for this seat we endorse Palmer. Palmer has been a Democratic volunteer for years, and—like any respectable candidate in the Triangle—has served on the board of a bicycle advocacy nonprofit. Palmer says he wants to make roadways in the town safer for those crossing busy streets to reach bus stops and he’s clear-eyed about how that will have to happen: by working with the state. He also has a deep understanding of the Carrboro Connects master plan and how the town needs to implement it.

We admire the determined transit and disability advocacy of his opponent, Isaac Woolsey. A Carrboro resident for five years, Woolsey relies exclusively on public transit to get around town and wants to see transit service expanded. 

But we believe that Palmer’s strong community connections—he’s been a resident since 1994, and his mother, Maria Palmer, a former Chapel Hill Town Council member, was the first Latina to join the state board of education—make him the best pick for this seat.  

Other candidate: Isaac Woolsey

---

If voters approve the bond referendum, the county could borrow $300 million—approximately $175 million for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and $125 million for Orange County Schools—to pay for school building replacements, renovations, and repairs. These include replacing Carrboro, Estes Hills, and Frank Porter Graham Elementaries in the CHCCS system and replacing Orange County Elementary and Middle Schools and a major renovation or addition in OCS. 

The bond is projected to cost a property taxpayer $34.10 for every $100,000 of assessed property value, or about $136 annually for a home valued at $400,000.

Enrollment in OCS and CHCCS is on the decline, and if the public school system is losing students to private schools and homeschooling, that’s a cause for concern. These upgrades are long overdue and desperately needed, and the emphasis on replacing school buildings will mean minimal disruption to current students and school staff. Children are the future, and we like the idea of sending them to schools that aren’t falling apart. Vote yes on the school bond referendum. 

---

Imagine if the Town of Chapel Hill could: 

• spend $15 million on affordable housing (build new, preserve existing, acquire property to build on, leverage state and federal funding, and create regional partnerships)
• spend $15 million on public facilities (replace Fire Stations 3 and 4 with new facilities) 
• spend $7.5 million on streets and sidewalks (improve and expand connectivity and ADA accessibility on Fordham Boulevard and Ephesus Church Road and support sidewalk projects in areas near schools and transit) 
• spend $4.5 million on parks and recreation facilities (replace artificial turf on Homestead Park playing fields, replace the community center climbing wall, build a splash bad, enhance pickleball courts, and more)
• and spend $2 million on open space and greenways (build the Bolin Creek Greenway Extension)

… all without raising property taxes.

It can—the town’s debt fund allocates money to pay debts and build future debt capacity—if you vote yes on the municipal bonds. 

Each category is listed as its own referendum. Don’t overthink it. We suggest voting yes on all.

back to the top

wake county

This is the only competitive race for a seat on the Board of County Commissioners this cycle. Two noncompetitive races are also on the ballot in which we have made endorsements (see the voter guide). 

Shinica Thomas was elected to the board of commissioners in 2020 and has served as board chair for the past two years. In that time, she has worked to improve broadband access across Wake County and advocated for improved diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within county government. Thomas is an adept leader who runs some of the smoothest public meetings in Wake County. We think she’s earned a second term.

Her opponent is Republican Jacob Arthur, who says he wants to lower taxes, cut government spending and improve public safety in Wake County. We prefer Thomas, who wants to invest in public schools, transportation, and affordable housing rather than slash the county’s budget by 10 percent.

Other candidate: Jacob Arthur (R)

---

Jordyne Blaise’s past experiences as a high school English teacher and NC State University’s deputy Title IX coordinator make her a well-qualified candidate for this seat. On top of her education experience, Blaise is a lawyer and leadership coach. Chief among her laundry list of policy priorities are improving educational equity and closing student achievement gaps. She also wants to support teachers and staff with competitive salaries and professional development support, ensure financial accountability in the school budget, and strengthen community involvement in public education.

Wing Ng, the incumbent, consistently obstructs the school board’s day-to-day operations in service of a conservative agenda. He voted against bringing the school system into compliance with federal Title IX regulations and tried to block a grant program that helps teachers buy books that promote diversity for their classrooms. 

Other candidate: Wing Ng

---

Toshiba Rice was appointed to the seat in February after her predecessor, Tara Waters, left to join the Wake County Board of Commissioners. Rice is the executive director of Track My Steps, a statewide education nonprofit dedicated to closing economic and racial achievement gaps. She’s also the CEO of a wellness consulting firm in Raleigh. In her first months on the school board, Rice supported federal Title IX updates that expand protections for LGBTQ students and voted against renewing the school system’s contract with its school resource officers, citing their unequal treatment of Black and brown students. We appreciate that she’s elevating that issue and are excited to see what she does with a full term. 

Mike Williams is an education consultant who ran for the seat unsuccessfully in 2022. Sean Callan is a research and policy analyst. Neither have campaign websites or seem to be actively campaigning. We think Rice is the best choice. 

Other candidates: Mike Williams, Sean Callan

---

As K-12 nonprofit Public Schools First NC’s director of outreach, Lynn Edmonds has been a champion of the state’s Leandro plan to fully fund North Carolina’s public schools since long before she joined the school board in 2022. Edmonds’s staunch support for teachers—her advocacy to pay them more and support them better—cuts through the noise of the statewide “parents’ rights” movement. She’s a parent of two WCPSS graduates and a longtime volunteer within the school system. She’s also a Wake County library commissioner who uses her platform to elevate the importance of preserving the “freedom to read.”

Unlike Edmonds, Ted Hills has no substantive history with Wake County Public Schools. His platform makes veiled overtures to the school vouchers program and “parents’ rights” movement. Vote for Edmonds. 

Other candidate: Ted Hills

---

In 2022, Sam Hershey campaigned on a pledge to address Wake County’s teacher shortage, remediate pandemic learning loss, and improve school funding. Since taking office, he’s continued to advocate for these issues and more—including staff pay raises and a Safe Gun Storage resolution. He’s also spoken out against book bans and attacks against LGBTQ students. Hershey is a Wake County Public Schools parent and former sports coach, and his personal stake in the school system’s success is evident in his work. 

Josh Points, Hershey’s GOP-backed challenger, is a commercial real estate broker who says he wants to improve student performance in Wake schools. To do that, he’s suggested raising teachers’ pay in order to improve student proficiency. Points’s campaign website alludes to the Moms for Liberty–championed “parents’ rights” movement, and on social media, he’s expressed support for banning books that discuss sexuality and gender identity. 

Hershey’s public school credentials and policy positions make him the clear choice in this race.

Other candidate: Josh Points

In her eight years on the school board, Lindsay Mahaffey has proven herself as a strong advocate for students and teachers, successfully lobbying for the addition of eight new schools in her fast-growing district and the restoration of master’s pay for WCPSS staff. Mahaffey is a former teacher herself and the parent of three children enrolled in Wake County Public Schools. She brings those perspectives to the table in a thoughtful and compassionate way during conversations about student well-being and staff support. She’s a defender of public schools at a time when the state legislature wants to divert money away from them and into private school vouchers.

Mahaffey’s opponent, Elizabeth McDuffie, is the least immediately objectionable candidate out of the Wake GOP’s slate of school board picks. Her classroom experience—which includes 10 years teaching in Wake County Public Schools—gives her some credibility. But don’t be fooled: McDuffie spent the summer and fall campaigning with conservative school board members Wing Ng and Cheryl Caulfield and with Michele Morrow, the conspiracy-peddling GOP candidate for state superintendent of public instruction. We’re willing to bet that if elected, McDuffie would take many of the same obstructionist, anti-LGBTQ stances as Ng and Caulfield. 

Other candidate: Elizabeth McDuffie

---

Mark Boone looks to be the only candidate in the race for this very important nonpartisan position who’s actually qualified to hold it. A scientist and engineer, Boone has detailed thoughts about the role and says he’s passionate about “finding solutions for dealing with the tragedy of the commons.” Boone says caring for Wake County’s 77,000 remaining acres of farmland is a priority and that ensuring local farmers can continue to use their land for agriculture is key. He cites preserving wildlife and empowering residents to protect native plant species and deal with garbage responsibly as important issues and suggests specific policy changes to make it easier for residents to recycle. If elected to the position, Boone says he will prioritize county partnerships with groups like the Triangle Land Conservancy, the Sierra Club, and the Audubon Society and will work to ensure the conservation district is funded through grants.  

Other candidates: Brian Lewis, Reese Wamsley

---

A registered Republican, Justice Becky Holt, who’s held the seat since 2017, does a good job of keeping politics out of the courtroom. For example, last month she ruled that it was too late for presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to get his name removed from voters’ ballots after said ballots had already been printed and were ready to be mailed out to voters. We think Holt ruled correctly, but the GOP-majority NC Court of Appeals overruled Holt’s decision at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars to taxpayers. 

Democrat Sean Cole, a personal injury lawyer, courtroom advocate, and legal studies teacher, says he believes that every person who comes before a trial court must be heard and understood. A volunteer writer for the Wake County Bar Awards, which raises millions of dollars for Legal Aid, Cole has received several recognitions for his volunteer and pro bono work in the legal profession. He’s also an actor, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist. That’s the kind of caring, well-rounded person we want on the bench. 

The third candidate for the seat, Stephanie Davis, has 21 years of trial experience in criminal and family law and says being unaffiliated aligns with the requirement that a judge be impartial. She makes a good point, but we’re endorsing Cole.  

Other candidates: Stephanie Davis, Becky Holt 

Graham Shirley, the incumbent since 2016 after he was appointed to the seat by Gov. Pat McCrory, has a background in the military and in criminal and civil litigation. 

We’re endorsing Jennifer Bedford, a Wake County district court judge who worked as a nonpartisan committee attorney at the general assembly until Gov. Roy Cooper appointed her to her district court seat. As a single mother of two, we think Bedford will bring a unique and needed perspective to the local judiciary. 

Other candidate: Graham Shirley 

---

A military veteran and former City of Raleigh firefighter, Kevin Boxberger received his law degree from NC Central University in 2013, where he studied shortly after he became a father to twins. Gov. Cooper appointed Boxberger to a district court seat following chief district court judge Ned Mangum’s retirement this May. Boxberger has worked in criminal defense for more than a decade, often representing indigent and juvenile clients, and he’s well respected in the local community for mentoring younger attorneys. Boxberger professes a commitment to fairness and competency on the bench, and we think the unique experience he brings will serve the residents of Wake County well. 

Karl Roth, a licensed attorney since 2001, has practiced in the areas of commercial litigation and family and criminal law. Also a military veteran, Roth describes himself as a Ronald Reagan Republican who leans moderate on social issues. 

We endorse Boxberger. 

Other candidate: Karl Roth

---

The Wake County Public Library System plans to use this $142 million bond for new libraries ($67 million), expansions ($12.3 million), and renovations ($43.3 million). Projects include replacing the Athens Drive and Wendell community libraries, expanding the Fuquay-Varina community library into a regional library, and adding new libraries in Apex and Rolesville. Several other libraries across the county would also get large-scale renovations. 

These are much-needed improvements that will help the public library system keep pace with Wake County’s soaring population growth. The bond would cost taxpayers $2.50 per $100,000 of assessed property value per year—a mere $10 increase on the annual tax bill for a home worth $400,000. That’s a small price to pay to make sure everyone in the county can access updated, well-resourced public libraries. 

Some community members have raised concerns that the Green Road, Richard B. Harrison, and Southgate libraries were left out of this bond, save for about $2 million allocated to renovate Richard B. Harrison library. It’s worth noting that the exact spending breakdown for the bond is not set in stone—there’s room for changes after the referendum vote. 

We support the bond and encourage readers to vote yes.

---

Cary voters will see two separate bonds on their ballots, one for housing and one for parks, together worth a combined $590 million. If voters approve the bonds, the town’s tax rate would increase by 9¢ (8.5¢ for parks and 0.5¢ for housing), staggered in 3¢ incremental increases in 2026, 2028, and 2030. 

The housing bond, worth $30 million, will be used to preserve existing affordable housing, create new affordable units, and support homeowners and nonprofit partners.  

The parks bond, worth $560 million, will provide funds for six projects:

• A $300 million sports and recreation center in South Hills
• A $10 million Asian Garden
• A $60 million clubhouse and stadium at Cary Tennis Park and 25–30 new pickleball courts
• A $150 million community center at Mills Park
• A $10 milion 217-acre nature park with hiking trails on what was once farmland in Chatham County
• Expansion of the Walnut Creek greenway, which would link Downtown Cary Park, Fenton, WakeMed Soccer Park, and South Hills, at a cost of $30 million

We think these are important considerations and new amenities for Cary, with a population that has grown to nearly 200,000 residents over the past decade. We urge Cary voters to vote yes on the municipal bonds. 

back to the top

raleigh city council

After five tumultuous years, the Raleigh City Council is entering a new era. A new mayor will guide the city into the second half of the decade, and seven council members will continue to make decisions about Raleigh’s future, not least with their work on the city’s next comprehensive plan that will chart how Raleigh grows beyond 2030. 

It’s clear by now that Raleigh is no longer the sleepy capital it was at the turn of the century. Instead, it’s on track to becoming a 21st-century Southern city, rivaling the likes of Memphis and Nashville, certainly Charlotte, and even Washington, DC, Jacksonville, and Atlanta.

Whether or not you think the growth is good, it’s undeniable and inevitable. By 2050, Raleigh will add another 1 million people to its population of what’s now about half that. These are projections that leave us convinced of Raleigh’s need for more housing, strong public transit networks, a vibrant, prosperous downtown, world-class parks and greenways, and trusted leadership at the helm.

The city has made good progress on some of these accounts. 

An affordable housing bond in 2020 has created hundreds of new units through public-private partnerships, allowed the city to buy land for more affordable housing, and helped home buyers and homeowners with assistance and repairs. We also support the city’s missing-middle policy, which has added more than 2,000 new units to Raleigh’s inventory that previously wouldn’t have been allowed. The city is becoming denser and rents are coming down. That’s good for residents and the environment.

We support the city’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, which will be built out soon along the city’s eastern corridor into downtown. With the future of commuter rail in the region uncertain, Triangle towns and cities are increasingly looking to BRT as the means of moving their residents around. We can’t allow that progress to slow or stall.

Work on Dix Park is under way, with the Gipson Play Plaza scheduled to open next year. Voters approved a $275 million parks bond in 2022 that’s paying for 23 projects across the city, and city staff worked with the community to complete a parks plan for the next 10 years, promising the City of Oaks will retain its leafy moniker.

But it hasn’t all been sunny.

Downtown has had a tough five years following pandemic-inflicted loss of foot traffic and reports of rising crime. Voting to keep Red Hat Amphitheater downtown was ultimately a good move on the council’s part, but it’s the latest example in a pattern of how city leadership falls short in engaging residents about its proposals for their neighborhoods before presenting those plans as a done deal.

Then, there are deep concerns about the culture of the Raleigh Police Department. Raleigh has seen several officer shootings since 2020 and millions of dollars paid out to settle lawsuits for unconstitutional interactions with residents over the last decade. 

Finally, a perception exists that the city council is leaving vulnerable groups behind as it plans for growth and the future. Progress is good, but not when it comes at the expense of residents in historically Black and working-class neighborhoods who find themselves priced out of the city by rising property taxes and the increasing cost of living. 

All of this erodes trust and city leaders will need to work over the coming years to win that trust back from residents. 

With these issues in mind, and considering what’s at stake for Raleigh’s future, we don’t want to see momentum lost. Our main consideration in making these endorsements comes down to experience: experience in governing, experience in planning, and experience in engaging. 

We want Raleigh to be a thriving, welcoming, sustainable city for the next generations. We’re recommending the candidates we feel will be best positioned as leaders to help realize this vision. 

---

Janet Cowell’s experience in government—she served on the Raleigh City Council before she was elected to the state senate and as the state treasurer from 2008 to 2015—plus her most recent role as CEO of the Dix Park Conservancy make her by far the candidate with the most political and civic experience in this race. We think it is experience that will serve Raleigh well. 

On the council and as treasurer, Cowell ensured the city and state maintained their AAA bond ratings, overseeing taxation, spending, and debt. On the council, she helped establish a stormwater control program, which prohibited development in watersheds, protecting the city’s drinking water and protecting residents from flooding. She’s championed inclusivity and diversity on public and private boards. Cowell also promises to listen to residents and work with everyone in the community toward common goals. 

Terrance Ruth, a professor in NC State University’s School of Social Work, is a strong candidate and an energetic, positive presence in the community. He also promises a collaborative approach but lacks Cowell’s leadership experience.

Eugene Myrick worked for Wake County Public Schools and the Dorothea Dix Mental Health Center. He’s committed to securing more affordable housing, restoring free bus fares to GoRaleigh, and preserving the city’s green spaces. 

James Shaughnessy is 25 and a pre-law student at William Peace University. He lists procuring more affordable housing and alleviating traffic congestion as goals, but otherwise his platform is light on details. 

Paul Fitts is embarking on his second run for mayor and fourth run for public office (he has not won an election). Fitts wants to hire 400 more cops, put a moratorium on new parks, bring a casino to Raleigh, and relocate Central Prison (which may not be a bad idea …). 

We think the choice is clear: Cowell is the best candidate to serve as Raleigh’s next mayor.  

Other candidates: Terrance (Truth) Ruth, Paul Fitts, James L. Shaughnessy IV, Eugene Myrick

---

There’s likely no other candidate running in this election who’s more uniquely qualified to serve on Raleigh’s city council than Mitchell Silver. The former New York City parks commissioner and Raleigh’s former planning director for a decade, Silver helped craft the guiding documents that have made Raleigh what it is today: its comprehensive plan and unified development ordinance. 

While doing that visioning and planning work, Silver met regularly with residents across the city to hear their thoughts, perspectives, and concerns. Raleigh needs leaders who value transparency and have the ability to bring diverse stakeholders together to find consensus. We think Silver is that kind of leader.

We like Mary Black and endorsed her in the last election. As a young woman of color, a renter, community organizer, and environmental justice advocate, Black brings a valuable perspective to the city council. But from her two years representing District A, we’re not convinced that Black actually wants the job. She meets with constituents infrequently, isn’t especially active in district matters, and sometimes misses meetings when the council is taking key votes. It can seem like Black’s skills and passion might be better suited somewhere other than city government.   

Whitney Hill is a small business owner who says increasing public safety and controlling Raleigh taxes are his top priorities. Hill ran for the seat in the last election cycle. 

Other candidates: Mary Black, Whitney Hill

---

Since she was elected in 2022, Megan Patton, a former teacher, has immersed herself in learning the ins and outs of city government policy, lawmaking, and crafting budgets that reflect the city’s values. She’s a cautious, thoughtful member of the council who does her homework on every issue, proposal, or rezoning case that comes before it, whether the issue directly impacts District B or not. 

Patton is also committed to listening to and engaging with the public. She says she responds to every single constituent email and holds regular office hours at local businesses in the district. She has good ideas about ways the city can get better feedback from residents who aren’t typically the most vocal. 

Jennifer McCollum is a lifelong Raleigh resident whose priorities include improving public safety and raising wages for first responders, decreasing the city’s debt, broadening the city’s tax base, supporting small businesses, and procuring more affordable housing. She’s a former communications professional who currently works in the health care industry. She doesn’t appear to have any experience in politics or city government. 

Other candidate: Jennifer McCollum

---

Corey Branch has represented District C for nearly a decade, and the district is the better for it. 

A leader on transit, Branch was instrumental to ensuring that the city’s BRT system buildout began in Southeast Raleigh, an area in which the city has historically underinvested and one in which residents rely heavily on public transit to get them to school and work. The current vice chair of the Raleigh Transit Authority, chair of the city’s Transportation and Transit Committee, and the Raleigh representative to the GoTriangle board, Branch has played a crucial role in ensuring that the city will have the modern and reliable transit system it needs in the future. His vision for the city’s first BRT transit corridor includes bringing more amenities to the district: grocery stores and dense housing.

Branch engages with residents in the district in ways that matter as well. One of only two council members to vote against disbanding citizens advisory councils (CACs) in 2020, Branch has supported the Southeast and Mordecai CACs during his time on the council and recognized the value that residents place on the CAC system. Additionally, Branch has  fostered community conversations, including with the police department, in order to build trust.

Finally, Branch has been a leader on affordable housing. The council has approved more affordable housing projects in District C than in any other district during his time on the council. 

Tolulope Omokaiye received an endorsement from the Wake County Democratic Party. A community leader, business owner, and former chair of the Raleigh Transit Authority, Omokaiye’s qualifications are strong. But we have concerns about her commitment to BRT. Her worries about gentrification and displacement are valid, and the city should take steps to minimize disruption and preserve historically Black communities. But pausing on the city’s transit plans, as Omokaiye has called for, would be disastrous. 

DaQuanta Copeland, Jared Ollison, and Portia Rochelle are all solid community leaders and worth a look from voters. While Copeland and Rochelle have run for public office before, neither has experience in city government. Ollison is making his first run for elected office. 

You can read more about the District C candidates in our September 18 paper or online at indyweek.com. 

Other candidates: Tolulope Omokaiye, Portia Rochelle, DaQuanta Copeland, Jared Ollison, Daniel Grant-King, Tomara DeCosta

---

Jane Harrison is running unopposed in District D, which means she must be doing something—or a lot of things—right. We admire Harrison’s commitment to listening to her constituents, voting her conscience on development projects, and dedicating herself to environmental stewardship. Harrison has earned our endorsement for another term.

---

When she ran for the District E council seat in 2022, she seemed a little green, but Christina Jones has used the past two years serving on council to immerse herself in the issues pressing Raleigh and to advocate for the causes most important to her. She’s an active and energetic presence in the district, seemingly always ready to meet with constituents personally, listen to their concerns, and explain her decision-making processes.

A champion of community engagement, Jones spearheaded the successful effort to restore city support for CACs. She fought to bring affordable units to her district in a decision that rankled some environmentalists. She led the Great Raleigh Cleanup initiative, which sees homeless residents paid a living wage to beautify the city. And she has been a steadfast advocate for raising city workers’ wages. 

Jones’s opponent, John Cerqueira, a change management consultant, has run a campaign prioritizing smart growth and sustainable development, public safety, and community engagement. Cerqueira is well known in the local community and helped bring the Skate Raleigh skate park to downtown. He is a recipient of the Order of the Longleaf Pine, one of the state’s highest honors, for his acts of bravery on 9/11. 

Residents of District E, the city’s most volatile district, have seen four different city council members in as many election cycles. We think Christina Jones has done the work to earn another term and hope she’ll bring some stability to the district. 

Other candidate: John Cerqueira

---

Other candidates: James Bledsoe, Joshua Bradley, Reeves Peeler, Robert Steele Jr.

Stormie Forte

A thoughtful, typically quiet presence on the city council, Stormie Forte, a licensed attorney, realtor, and mediator, was the top vote-getter in the 2022 at-large race. She has a strong base of support and is known for her willingness to meet with and listen to residents, especially over controversial development cases, and for her ability to work with diverse groups to seek compromise. We’re endorsing Forte again for her dedicated focus on procuring more affordable housing (she notes Raleigh’s deficit of about 60,000 units and says Raleigh needs another affordable housing bond on the ballot in 2026) and her vision for BRT in the New Bern Avenue corridor. Forte supports growth with density where it makes sense and advocates for taking a more gentle approach in historic and long-established areas. Raleigh needs Forte’s insight, skills, and experience on the council. 

Jonathan Lambert-Melton

We also endorse incumbent Jonathan Lambert-Melton, a family law attorney. Well-versed in city policy, Melton has a pragmatic approach to addressing issues facing the city, particularly around transit and transportation. Melton understands that for many Raleigh residents, public transit is a lifeline to work, retail, and services; increased investment in transit will ensure higher-frequency bus service, better bike lanes, and more sidewalk improvements. He emphasizes the importance of the city sticking with its plans to complete all the BRT routes. Melton also chaired the city’s Economic Development and Innovation Committee, which helped a struggling downtown with initiatives such as the social district and street eateries. Melton has earned another term.

Reeves Peeler, a member of the city’s Planning Commission for the past year, is an interesting candidate and has seen a groundswell of grassroots support. We like Peeler’s commitment to lifting up working people and rejecting corporate influence in the local elections, as well as his community organizing experience. With a few more years of experience in city government, we think Peeler would make a good addition to the council, but this year, we’re supporting the incumbents. 

back to the top

Correction: Sarah Crawford is running in NC House District 66, not 56. This has been corrected. We also clarified that Ray Ubinger first ran for the NC Senate District 22 seat in 2018; he has run for public office several times before that year.