Five Takeaways from the Raleigh City Council Election

View This Email In Your Browser

Good morning, readers.

Five years ago, Mary-Ann Baldwin was sworn in as mayor of Raleigh. 

A lot has happened in the world since then, not the least a global pandemic. And a lot has happened in Raleigh: civil unrest following George Floyd’s murder, an influx of new residents, an office workers’ retreat from downtown to working from home, a new housing policy, progress on Bus Rapid Transit, changes to city elections, and much more that we chronicle here.

Today, after deciding not to run for reelection earlier this year, Baldwin will preside over her last Raleigh City Council meeting, capping off her two terms serving as mayor and an additional 10 years on the city council. 

And while plenty of Raleigh residents have mixed feelings about Baldwin herself, voters mostly seem to like the course she’s set the city on. They overwhelmingly elected mayoral candidate Janet Cowell, who, although she promises to bring many new ideas to the table, said during her campaign that she believes that the city is on the right track. And they elected incumbents at large and in all of the city’s districts except for District A. 

But there were some surprises to come out of this fall’s municipal election. 

Right-leaning candidates, some of whom are registered Republicans, fared well, earning tens of thousands of votes. And a grassroots campaign from a city planning commissioner aimed at appealing to young, working class voters and renters didn’t see the kind of success that a similar campaign saw in Durham’s municipal election last year.

As we mark the end of the Baldwin era with today’s city council meeting, here are five takeaways from this fall’s Raleigh City Council election. The new council will be sworn in on December 2.

Have a good Tuesday. 

—Jane

---

---

Durham

Durham School of the Arts students staged a walkout for climate action last week. They’re demanding a “Green New Deal for Schools.”

Gregg Lowe is out as Durham chipmaker Wolfspeed’s CEO as stock prices tumbled amid a corporate strategy shift.

Wake

ICYMI: Democratic state Rep. Terence Everitt won the NC Senate District 18 seat by 134 votes, though his opponent, Ashlee Bryan Adams, may request a recount.

Orange

Triangle musicians remember Reese McHenry, who died last week, as a beloved force of nature.

North Carolina

Incumbent justice Allison Riggs is up by 623 votes against NC Court of Appeals judge Jefferson Griffin in the state Supreme Court race. Griffin has filed a lawsuit against state elections officials and has until noon today to request a recount, which he is expected to do.

---

If you’d like to advertise your business to the Daily’s 30,000-plus subscribers, please contact [email protected]

---