Elections Recap

by | Oct 7, 2015 | Carolina Strategic Analysis, Features, NC Politics | 4 comments

What happened last night in elections held in North Carolina’s two largest cities:

Charlotte
Jennifer Roberts won the runoff, 54%-46%. So much for Clodfelter’s momentum. The endorsement from third place finisher David Howard doesn’t appear to have helped him with the black vote much, if at all. Clodfelter angered a bunch of people when he decided to run after saying he wouldn’t. His late start put him in a difficult position.

Roberts will go on to face Republican Edwin Peacock next month. Even though she’s been panned for vague stances on the issues, her strategy of running out the clock has worked for her and there’s no reason for her to change things. She will be difficult to beat next month in a city increasingly dominated by Democrats.

Raleigh
The big news out of Raleigh is that the whole “Drunktown” affair didn’t amount to much of anything. Turns out, downtown nightlife was just one of many issues, and young people still don’t turn out. There were a few surprises, just not in the races people expected. Overall, the Raleigh establishment crowd should be pleased with the results, as there’s nothing in the numbers to indicate widespread dissatisfaction with the city’s leadership.

Mayor: Nancy McFarlane easily won a third term (expected to be her last). From 2013, her opponent Bob Weltzin did better in North Raleigh and outside the Beltline while McFarlane improved her performance in the eastern part of the city. So there was a greater degree of polarization than two years ago but McFarlane’s victory was nearly as large, if that makes sense.

At-Large Council: Incumbents Mary-Ann Baldwin and Russ Stephenson carried the day. Baldwin finished first despite being the target of the “Drunktown” ad. Matt Tomasulo, one of the millennial “pro-growth” candidates, finished third.

District A: Republican Wayne Maiorano decided not to seek reelection after one term. This race was nearly a three-way tie, and there’s going to be a runoff between the top two contenders: second-place finisher Eddie Woodhouse and the top vote-getter, Dickie Thompson. Woodhouse is supported by the NC GOP, while Thompson is a McFarlanite.

District B: In an upset, independent (Democrat) David Cox ousted longtime Council member John Odom, a Republican. Party affiliation was of lesser importance; the real issue was growth and development in North Raleigh. This is the district which contained the successful fight against the Publix rezoning and the result is an indication that voters want more controlled growth.

District C: This district based in Southeast Raleigh is majority black. Incumbent Eugene Weeks was ousted by newcomer Corey Branch. The result here was probably less about the issues and more reflective of Branch’s energetic campaign.

District D: Appointed incumbent Kay Crowder (wife of the late Council member Thomas Crowder) won a term of her own against Ashton Mae Smith, one of the millennial candidates who got a lot of hype. The result here wasn’t close: 62%-38%, and is more evidence that the restrictions on downtown nightlife just wasn’t a big issue.

District E: Incumbent Bonner Gaylord (unaffiliated/Democrat) won easily in a three-way race, giving him a clear path to seek the mayoralty in 2017.

Overall, the results are a vote of confidence for Raleigh’s ruling class. The message from voters (or at least those who turned out): we generally like the direction things are going, and we don’t care what you do with our sidewalks at night – just try to keep growth and development under control. Thanks.

4 Comments

  1. Apply Liberally

    “Ruling class”? Sorry, but I find it the comical and the height of hypocrisy when a Republican tries to pin that descriptor —with all its coloring of social caste— on the Dems in our urban areas who happen to consistently win at the polls.

    The true “ruling class” in our state are Berger, Moore, and their GOP cabal who not only are entrenched in power via gerrymandering at the state level, but who often speak and act like Brahmans in a NC caste system.

  2. Bob Geary

    I think the message in Raleigh is that voters — a small group, admittedly — like Raleigh’s growth, but want smarter growth that achieves more in terms of good placemaking, orientation to transit, housing for working people …

    … right now we’re in a commodity-housing building phase where everything is a little too big for how bland and uninspired it is and how little it will contribute to Raleigh’s long-term vitality. Not to mention the giant parking deck that goes with. And the high rents.

    Lot of crap going up, and the profits are going who knows where.

    Meanwhile, the traffic congestion is at 90 percent. In other words, still moving, not too bad. But when it gets to 100 percent, that will truly suck = gridlock. And 100 percent is not far off if we don’t get ahead of development with some actual planning. And execution.

    • Raleighite

      “Lot of crap going up”

      Pretty sure someone in 1920 said that about all the nice old things we want to keep now.

  3. Progressive Wing

    You final paragraph should have read differently, like:

    “Overall, the results are a vote of confidence for Raleigh’s enlightened leadership The message from voters: we generally like the direction things are going in Raleigh —- a good blend of progressive improvements, wise development goals, new ideas, and guidance and controls on growth, where and hen necessary. And all this despite the NCGA picking the city’s pocket of millions of dollars of business privilege fees, and trying to usurp municipal authority over landlord-tenant dealings, minimum wages, fair housing policy, and discrimination.

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