Our pick for Raleigh City Council

This will be the first time in at least a century that Raleigh voters will choose a mayor and city council members in a presidential election year.

This will mean a massive increase in turnout for municipal elections, which were held in odd-numbered years until 2022. It also means urban candidates have struggled to appeal to voters amid the noise of the presidential race in the hot state of North Carolina. . But amid the presidential clamor, more than 20 candidates are vying for seats on the eight-member council, which consists of the mayor, two members elected at large and five members elected by district.

The News & Observer editors approved Janet Cowell in a five-way race for mayor. We also support the re-election of the council member Jane Harrisonwhich faces no opposition in District D, which covers much of western Raleigh. Here are our picks in other races:

Generally

Jonathan Melton and Stormy Forte are leading the race for two seats. Also running are James Bledsoe, Joshua Bradley, Reeves Peeler and Robert Steele Jr. (candidate Kathy Pate, who was on the ballot, withdrew from the race in August due to family medical reasons).

Bledsoe, 38, is a government employee and U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan. He wants to increase police pay but limit city spending in other areas. It would ease the city’s building permit requirements to make it easier to build affordable housing.

Bradley, 50, is a hotel accountant and former Occupy Raleigh activist. He criticizes police shootings and supports non-police responses to people experiencing mental health crises.

Peeler, 38, a former civic leader who now works in banking, is a member of the Raleigh Planning Commission. He says the city should encourage affordable housing. He said he “will work hard to hold large corporate developers accountable to paying their fair share to reduce the burden on property taxes.”

Steele, 40, a property manager, took it upon himself to make changes in Raleigh after his fiancee was killed in a mass shooting in Raleigh’s Hedingham neighborhood in 2022. He wants to create a citywide emergency reporting system for violent crimes. He also wants to increase the amount of affordable housing and improve city government’s responsiveness to public needs.

Melton, 38, of southeast Raleigh, is a family law attorney. When he was first elected at-large in 2019, he became the first openly LGBTQ person to win a citywide seat in Raleigh. He is an effective and energetic council member who places a strong emphasis on communicating with residents. He supported raising wages for public safety workers, revising zoning laws to provide more housing choices and expanding public transportation options in Raleigh. We recommend Jonathan Melton.

Forte, 53, a Raleigh native and attorney, was appointed to the district seat in 2020 before winning her seat at-large in 2022. She supports the city’s efforts to help the homeless and expand bus service to reach more people. horsemen She was a collegial council member, focused more on results than on arguments. We recommend re-election Stormy Forte.

District A (North Raleigh)

Mary Black, 29, brought a younger perspective and concern for the environment to the City Council when she was elected in 2022. She advocated for the restoration of Citizens’ Advisory Councils, more assistance for the homeless and the creation of a city council on African American affairs.

Black is being challenged by Whitney Hill, an Internet marketer who declined to give her age, and Mitchell Silver, 64, a former Raleigh planning director. While Black has contributed to the council, Silver brings depth of experience that will benefit the council as it guides the city’s growth.

Silver, who served as New York City’s parks commissioner after leaving Raleigh in 2014, now works as a planning consultant in Raleigh. He will provide valuable experience to the council, especially as the city prepares to develop a new comprehensive plan that will guide growth for decades to come. We recommend Mitchell Silver.

District B (northeast Raleigh)

Incumbent Megan Patton, 36, a former elementary school teacher, was among four freshman council members elected in 2022. She says the work requires more effort than she expected and results are harder to achieve.

However, Patton listened, learned, and made progress. She works closely with area residents and secured funding for Forestville Road Park.

Patton is being challenged by 51-year-old corporate account manager Jennifer McCollum. She wants to increase the city’s public safety resources, but also wants to cut taxes “to put money back into the pockets of citizens.”

McCollum, running for office for the first time, said she wants the council to be more transparent and more responsive to the community. “You can go and talk and they don’t seem to care,” she said.

However, the current president of this district listens and cares. We recommend Megan Patton.

District C (southeast Raleigh)

Cory Branch, a four-term incumbent in District C, previously announced his candidacy for mayor, prompting an influx of candidates for the apparently open seat. But Branch, 46, has changed course and is now seeking another term representing this southeast Raleigh district.

There are currently seven candidates on the ballot in District C. The others are DeQuanta Copeland, 44, a Wake County community engagement coordinator who ran for mayor in 2022; Tomara DeCosta, 46, a clinical research organization manager who opposes bus rapid transit projects and wants to cut what she sees as wasteful city spending; Air Force veteran Jared Ollison, 49, is the former director of detention services for the Wake County Sheriff’s Office and now a State Capitol Police officer; Tolulope O. Omokaye, 42, director of a non-profit youth education program; Portia V. Rochelle, 72, a retired minister and civil servant, and Daniel Grant-King, 25, a special education teacher.

Starting in 2026, primaries will narrow the choices to two. But the number of candidates this year speaks to more than just a gap in the process or Branch’s initial move to run for mayor. This suggests that there is a feeling in the area that residents are not being heard.

Branch has been a competent councilman and his knowledge of city government is valuable, but his many rivals are signaling it is time for new leadership in Southeast Raleigh.

The most compelling candidate in this group is Ollison. He supports youth programs and offers a more hands-on approach to serving the district than some of the more vocal candidates.

Asked what he hears from area residents, Ollison said, “They tell me they’re tired of the blight, the city’s inability to solve the problem of broken sidewalks. They are concerned about housing costs and gentrification.”

Ollison, who has a master’s degree in public policy and public administration, said: “There are a lot of things that are just being ignored. If you’re on the city council, you have a responsibility to get out there and get involved and understand what the needs are.”

This is a direct conversation about an area that is too often overlooked. We recommend Jared Ollison.

District E (Central and Northwest Raleigh)

First-term incumbent Christina Jones has worked hard to connect with her constituents. In two years, she held 23 public meetings. She is also sensitive to the needs of city workers and strives to pay them more.

But Jones’ work with her fellow council members has not been as effective. She brings an activist approach to work that should be largely about collaboration and compromise.

Jones’ opponent would bring a completely different style to his work. John Cerqueira, 45, has an MBA from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and advises organizations on how to cope with change. This professional skill will be useful to the council leading a growing city.

We recommend John Cerqueira.