Press Releases and Newsletters
Mayor Bell (Durham), council incumbents win (News and Observer)
Bell, council incumbents win (News and Observer)
DURHAM With 84 percent of votes counted, Mayor Bill Bell and three incumbentCity Council members were well on their way to landslide re-elections.
Returns from 49 of thecity’s 58 precincts showed Bell leading challenger Steven L. Williams 77 percent to 22percent, with a handful of write-in votes. Council members Cora Cole-McFadden, Howard Clement and Mike Woodard each had more than 70 percent.
The results culminated an election season that most citizens apparently were content to let pass them by. Turnout was light at precincts across the city, though better than the 4.36 percent who turned out for the Oct.6 primary. Several precincts had passed their total primary totals by midafternoon.
For those who did turn out, voting went off without a hitch, Elections Director Mike Ashe said: “Democracy is having a great day.”
Bell’s opponent, Steven L. Williams, initially set out to run against Bell for mayor in 2005 but withdrew before the election.
Donald Hughes, opposing Cole-McFadden for the Ward 1 seat; Matt Drew, facing Clement in Ward 2; and Allan Polak, opposing Woodard in Ward 3, were making their first bids for elective office.
Throughout the campaign, the incumbents emphasized their experience and accomplishments, such as Durham’s downtown revitalization, projects to revive depressed neighborhoods and attention to the city’s decayed water and sewer lines and potholed streets.
Bell and Cole-McFadden have held their positions since 2001. Woodard was first elected in 2005. Clement is the longest-serving council member in Durham history, with 26 years.
The newcomers challenged the city’s status quo, but from different perspectives. Williams and Hughes emphasized inclusiveness and attention to the city’s poor. Drew called for fiscal responsibility and restraint, and Polak stressed his business experience as owner of a small IT firm.
Published Wed, Nov 04, 2009 02:00 AM
Modified Wed, Nov 04, 2009 08:41 AM
[email protected] or 919-932-2004
Mayor Padgett (Concord) and Mayor Swain (Huntersville) Win (Charlotte Observer)
Taylor, Biggers lead; Swain-Sisson race close (Charlotte Observer)
Excerpted from story:
HUNTERSVILLE
With unofficial returns from all eight precincts, Swain had 2,168 votes, to 2,046 votes for Sisson.
Swain said she has worked hard to develop good relationships with other local, state and federal leaders, to help manage growth in the city. Sisson said his 20 years as a business consultant make him a better planner and manager.
During the campaign, Sisson said Swain has not communicated well with town commissioners and has not provided good leadership. Swain countered that Sisson told her a few years ago that “there’s a new sheriff in town, and he’s running things.” Both candidates denied the other’s charges.
CONCORD
Longtime incumbent Mayor Scott Padgett won re-election Tuesday, beating back a challenge from a declared candidate and a write-in.
With returns counted from all 25 precincts, Padgett had 71 percent of the vote, to 18.9 percent for Johnny “Elvis” Almond and 9.6 percent for write-in hopeful Alex Porter.
Padgett came under criticism last year for the city’s deal with Lowes Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith over development of the dragstrip next to the speedway. But Porter mounted a write-in candidacy on the issue of the new Cabarrus County Detention Center. That jail is being located in downtown Concord, a block from the historic district, where Porter lives.
The detention center was an issue of contention in Concord, and Porter led the neighborhood opposition.
Observer staff writers Cliff Harrington, Celeste Smith and Mark Price, and special correspondent Melinda Johnston contributed.
By Steve Lyttle
[email protected]
Posted: Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009
Foxx wins race for Charlotte mayor (Charlotte Observer)
Foxx wins race for Charlotte mayor (Charlotte Observer)
Voters ended more than two decades of Republican leadership in Charlotte Tuesday by electing Democrat Anthony Foxx the city’s second African-American mayor and the youngest in memory.
Foxx won Charlotte’s closest mayoral race in years, taking just over 51 percent of the vote over Republican John Lassiter in unofficial totals.
At a victory celebration, Foxx shared a long hug with a jubilant Harvey Gantt, the last Democratic and first African-American mayor.
“It’s been 22 years since we’ve had this moment,” a hoarse Foxx told a cheering crowd at the Westin hotel. “The work of rebuilding our community starts very soon. … We will work together – Republican, Democrat and unaffiliated, white and black and Hispanic. … Let’s get going.
“We’re going to pull Charlotte together.”
He went on to thank Lassiter for a “race well run.”
An hour earlier, Lassiter had been conceding on live TV when his cell phone rang.
“Oh, it’s Anthony,” he said, telling Foxx, “You can count on me in any way I can serve this city. Good luck to you.”
Foxx carried a wide swath of precincts from east to west Charlotte, while Lassiter’s support was largely confined to a wedge in the south and southeast.
Though turnout was heaviest in the southeast, Foxx benefited from heavy straight-ticket voting that pushed Democrats to an 8-3 City Council majority.
Foxx got his strongest support in predominantly African-American precincts. He carried two by more than 1,000 votes. At East Stonewall AME Zion Church off Beatties Ford Road, he won 1,307 votes to Lassiter’s 3.
Foxx planned to continue the momentum that began a year ago when Barack Obama carried Charlotte by more than 25 percentage points. He benefited from a strong base. At 35 percent, the city’s proportion of black voters is more than a third higher than when Gantt was first elected in 1983.
After 14 years of Republican Mayor Pat McCrory, Foxx campaigned on a platform of change and promised to help Charlotte to “reach its true potential.” At 38, he’ll be a year younger than McCrory was when he was first elected at 39.
Throughout the campaign, Foxx stressed his own story: growing up in west Charlotte with a single mother and grandparents, becoming the first black student body president at Davidson College and going on to study law at New York University.
“My life example proved what this city must do,” he said Tuesday night, “which is the simple thing of believing in yourself.”
Lassiter, a lawyer and businessman, campaigned on experience. He brought a long resume of community service – as a neighborhood leader, planning commissioner, school board member and a City Council member since 2003. He said all that offered a stark contrast to Foxx, a council member for four years.
But change trumped experience for many voters.
Foxx supporter Lachelle Smith took her 5-year-old son Julius Hall to the polls at Hawthorne High School. He pointed to Foxx’s picture on a campaign flyer. “Why’s he running for mayor?” he asked.
“He wants to make changes in the city to help us,” Smith replied.
Lassiter had appeared to break away from Foxx in recent days.
Last week Raleigh’s Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling found the race tied. Monday it released a poll that gave Lassiter a 4-point lead and showed white undecided voters moving toward him.
The mayoral campaign featured more than 40 forums and debates and was widely applauded for its civility. That began to fray last week when Foxx and the state Democratic Party made an issue of Lassiter’s support from developers.
In a televised debate, Lassiter accused Foxx of spreading “false information” about his record and later lashed out at a state party mailing that he said injected negative politics into the campaign. Foxx distanced himself from the mailing.
Throughout the campaign, the two tried to underscore contrasts over streetcar funding and taxes. But many people struggled to find differences between candidates whose City Council voting records were often similar.
“I don’t see a big difference between the two, frankly,” said Republican Ben Kinney, a magazine publisher who voted for Lassiter in east Charlotte. “I have a strong feeling Democrats are basically going to control most of City Council.”
Foxx alluded to the strengthened grip Democrats will hold on council.
“There’s a great amount of opportunity there,” he said. “But there’s a great amount of pressure.”
By Jim Morrill
[email protected]
Posted: Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009
Staff writers Tonya Jameson, Ted Mellnik, Ely Portillo and Kirsten Valle contributed.
Kleinschmidt wins Chapel Hill mayoral race (News and Observer)
Kleinschmidt wins Chapel Hill mayoral race (News and Observer)
CHAPEL HILL — The liberal establishment held off a band of businessmen trying to change the town’s course.
Two-term councilman Mark Kleinschmidt, a death-penalty defense lawyer and gay rights activist, narrowly defeated colleague Matt Czajkowski to take the reins as mayor. Kleinschmidt had just 49 percent of the vote in the four-person mayoral race.
“We have a divided community right now, and that’s got to be job No. 1 to address that,” Kleinschmidt said. “The first thing is to talk to Matt. … Matt and I agree about a lot more than we disagree about.”
Czajkowski, a former investment banker and retired corporate finance officer, tried to lead three other finance experts onto the council to recruit new businesses downtown, cut taxes and reduce panhandling. Czajkowski has two years remaining on his council seat, but only corporate executive Gene Pease was able to join him in the race for four available council seats.
“They were being influenced heavily by a specific group of developers, and I think in the end that backfired on them,” said Sierra Club-endorsed challenger Penny Rich, who led the field of Town Council candidates with 15 percent of the votes. “The people of Chapel Hill know what they care about.”
Czajkowski said his 47 percent reflects an important constituency.
“I look forward to working with Mark,” Czajkowski told WCHL. “
Kleinschmidt said he, Czajkowski and the rest of the council will have to wait for a report from a citizen task force to decide how to manage growth over the next 10 years.
Czajkowski has criticized the status quo of strict development guidelines funneling large mixed-use projects onto transit corridors, and Kleinschmidt has acknowledged the 600,000-square-foot East 54 project – one of Czajkowski’s favorite targets – appears out of place in Chapel Hill.
“Neither one of us knows what to do because we’re still in process,” Kleinschmidt said.
Kleinschmidt and Rich were the only candidates to use the town’s new public campaign financing program, which Czajkowski and many of his supporters opposed.
“It feels like the voter-owned election program really worked,” said Rich. “We engaged the citizens, and they gave it back.”
Incumbent Ed Harrison took 14.8 percent and Laurin Easthom 14.4 percent. Pease topped 13.6 percent to take the last seat, edging challenger Matt Pohlman and incumbent Jim Merritt, appointed last year to replace the late Bill Thorpe as the only African American on the council.
The council now faces another appointment with the resignation of three-time councilman Bill Strom this summer.
Kleinschmidt said he wants to hear from new council members Rich and Pease but having at least one African American on the council is important to him.
“It’s certainly something that will enter my thoughts,” he said.
By Jesse James DeConto – Staff writer
[email protected]. or 919-932-8760
Mayor Chilton (Carrboro) coasts to third term as mayor (The Chapel Hill News.com)
Chilton coasts to third term as mayor (The Chapel Hill News.com)
Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton handily won a third term Tuesday, beating challengers Brian Voyce and Amanda Ashley.
Incumbents Jacquie Gist and Randee Haven-O’Donnell were re-elected to the Board of Aldermen. Challenger Sammy Slade picked up the third open seat, defeating Sharon Cook and Tim Peck.
In unofficial results, Chilton won 72 percent of the vote to far outpace his two opponents.
He and about a dozen supporters crowded into Jessee’s Coffee and Bar on East Main Street Tuesday evening as the first returns started coming in. His wife and children huddled over a laptop and shouted out the results for Chilton as he hugged and kissed his mother.
“Thank you to the voters of Carrboro,” Chilton said. “I want to see Carrboro continue to move on a path to become a more walkable and bikeable community.”
He also pledged to continue working on public transit and redeveloping the downtown while preserving the town’s feel.
Voyce, who finished second, was unavailable for comment. Ashley said she was glad she ran because she was able to bring up new ideas.
“Don’t leave it to the professionals,” she said. “Take democracy into our own hands.”
Voyce did carry Hogan Farms, a northern precinct that includes areas annexed in 2006, with 163 votes to Chilton’s 141.
Gist, who won her sixth consecutive term, spent Election Day speaking with voters at the polls.
“I’m very grateful,” she said. “I think the priority of this term is getting through the economic crisis.”
Haven-O’Donnell received a champagne toast at a friend’s house after winning her second term.
“We’re very pleased with the campaign we’ve run,” she said. She said she will work on protecting the local environment and making wise decisions about the economy.
When Slade stopped by Jessee’s Coffee and Bar Tuesday night, a small crowd clapped for him. Chilton presented him as the man of the hour.
“I’m very excited,” Slade said. “It’s kind of catching up with me now.”
Slade says he wants the town to be a national leader in dealing with climate change, but he also wants to address economic issues.
“Carrboro’s becoming very expensive,” he said. He said some of his younger friends have had to move away because of the high cost of living.
“I look forward to representing the immigrant community,” said Slade, whose mother Columbian.
Cook said she ran a good campaign and she had fun running.
“I wish the new board members and continuing board members the best of luck,” she said. “I hope that they will truly, truly represent our entire town.”
Tim Peck said he was somewhat disappointed, but said it was a good effort for a first run.
“People need new leaders and new points of view,” he said.
In unofficial results posted by the Orange County Board of Elections, Chilton received 1,658 votes, or 72 percent, in the mayor’s race. Voyce got 450 votes, for 20 percent, and Ashley received 171 votes for 7 percent.
In the Board of Aldermen’s race, Gist was the top vote-getter, with 1,507 votes, for 25 percent of vote. Slade and Haven-O’Donnell finished in a near-dead heat; Slade received 1,461 votes and Haven-O’Donnell 1,451, each at 24 percent.
Cook received 903 votes for 15 percent, and Peck got 697 votes, or 11 percent.
Cook, like Voyce, carried the Hogan Farms precinct. She received 257 votes there, to Haven-O’Donnell’s 156 and Gist’s 155.
Published: Nov 03, 2009 11:59 PM
Modified: Nov 03, 2009 11:59 PM
By Julian March, Correspondent
Mayor Wall (Burlington) will serve a second term (The Times News.com)
Faucette wins council seat by eight votes (The Times News.com)
Ronnie Wall will serve a second term as Burlington’s mayor and former mayor Stephen Ross will be back on Burlington’s council.
But the election-day surprise was that perennial candidate Celo Faucette squeaked into elected office Tuesday.
Faucette edged out Larry Sharpe — a 20-year county commissioner and one of the county’s best-known political names — by a mere eight votes to take the second available council seat. Faucette got 1,465 votes. Sharpe got 1,457 votes.
The results are based on an unofficial vote count by the Alamance County Board of Elections. Votes will be canvassed for an official count Tuesday, and provisional ballots will be included in that count.
The unofficial count doesn’t include any provisional ballots, which would be included when votes are canvassed next Tuesday.
“I’m elated. If the vote holds up, I’m elated,” said Faucette, who unsuccessfully ran for council twice. “I can’t thank the citizens of Burlington enough. I think voters really wanted a change.”
Sharpe didn’t expect the outcome to change once provisional ballots are counted, and wished Ross and Faucette the best in their terms Tuesday night.
About 11 percent of voters, or 6,057 people, cast ballots Tuesday.
Ross finished first in the council race, with 1,728 votes. Former city manager Buddy Baker rounded out the list with 793 votes. There were 39 write-in votes in the council race.
Wall received 2,611 votes. He was challenged for his seat by Wade Preston Salmon Jr., who got 252 votes. There were 15 write-in votes.
Wall’s priorities for his second two-year term include creating a policy for filling vacant council seats, making more effort to reach residents through community meetings and better communication, and making sure the city can keep up with new state water regulations.
Ross, a financial adviser with Smith Barney, touted his experience in economic development during the run-up to the election. Ross was mayor when Honda Aero cemented its deal to locate near Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport in 2007. He believes voters want someone experienced in bringing industry and job creation to Alamance County.
Faucette, 62, ran on a platform of bringing more varied thought and experience to the council. The retired LabCorp manager wanted more transparency in council decisions and believes electing someone from a different area of town, with a different background, better serves Burlington’s diverse population.
The area’s public transportation debate also weighed into the race.
The Burlington council has been in talks with the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation to provide express park-and-ride bus service to and from Alamance County along Interstate 85/40. The city would use state and federal money to begin bus service to at least three parking lots planned for the western, central and eastern portions of the county.
Ross saw the implementation of park-and-ride service as a good first step toward the fixed-route bus system Burlington might need in the future. He also said bus service might increase the chances of larger companies locating in the area.
Faucette was more skeptical. During the campaign, he said he would want to see studies about ridership numbers and statistics on who would use the service before he would be in favor of it. Sharpe was also on the fence about bus service, but thought PART service might be a good way to gauge interest in a bussing system here.
Baker said the city might need bus service, but remembered when Burlington’s old bus system went belly-up for lack of riders and high costs.
Before PART service could begin, Alamance County commissioners would have to pass a $1 addition to vehicle registrations here or a 5-percent tax increase on rental cars. The commissioners haven’t yet held a debate on the increases.
November 03, 2009 10:41 PM
Michael D. Abernethy / Times-News
Greensboro to get new mayor Dec. 1 (The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area)
Greensboro to get new mayor Dec. 1 (The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area)
Bill Knight, who ran on a fiscal conservatism message, won the city’s close mayoral race Tuesday, edging out incumbent Yvonne Johnson 51.3 percent to 48.6 percent.
Out of 34,347 votes cast, Knight’s margin was 935.
On the Greensboro City Council, at-large seats went to incumbent Robbie Perkins, former councilwoman Nancy Barakat Vaughan and newcomer Danny Thompson. Incumbent Sandra Anderson-Groat did not win re-election.
All the candidates running for district council seats in Greensboro won: T. Dianne Bellamy-Small in District 1, Zack Matheny in District 3, Mary Rakestraw in District 4 and Trudy Wade in District 5. Incumbent Councilwoman Goldie Wells was not on the ballot in District 2, which was won by newcomer Jim Kee.
Greensboro voters also approved a $20 million bond issue for the Natural Science Center, which received 61.2 percent of the vote. Stokesdale voters approved both a liquor-by-the-drink referendum and the establishment of an ABC store.
In Winston-Salem, incumbent Democratic Mayor Allen Joines was unopposed, garnering 90.7 percent of the vote.
Incumbent City Council members who appeared on the general election ballot also fared well in Winston-Salem. Winning re-election Tuesday were Democrats Dan Besse in the Southwest Ward, Vivian Burke in the Northeast Ward, Wanda Merschel in the Northwest Ward and Molly Leight in the South Ward and Republican Robert Clark in the West Ward.
The council will see four new members: Democrats Derwin L. Montgomery in the East Ward, Denise (D.D.) Adams in the North Ward and James Taylor in the Southeast Ward.
And in Burlington, incumbent Mayor Ronnie Wall handily won re-election, receiving 90.7 percent of the vote. Former mayor Stephen Ross also won a City Council seat. And Celo Faucette, a perennial candidate, edged out incumbent Councilman Larry Sharpe by eight votes, 1,465 to 1,457.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 9:11am EST | Modified: Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 9:14am
Mayor Clawson (Boone) Retains Her Title
Watauga County Court House: 8:10 p.m. – Mayor Loretta Clawson retains her title for another consecutive term after the Watauga County Board of Elections announced voting results.
Clawson won with a total of 787 votes, Tim Wilson landed second place with 474 votes and John Mena followed with 237 votes.
Check tomorrow’s edition of The Appalachian newspaper for an in-depth look at the 2009 Boone elections.
by JON LAFONTAINE
Associate Editor for Online Operations
by EDWARD SZTUKOWSKI
News Editor
Tuesday, 03 November 2009
Bellamy Wins Reelection (ACT)
Bellamy, Manheimer, Smith, Bothwell appear to be in (Asheville Citizen Times)
STAFF REPORTS Challengers Esther Manheimer, Gordon Smith and Cecil Bothwell are virtually assured of election in the race for three open seats on City Council with all but one of the city’s 37 precincts reporting.
Both Councilman Carl Mumpower and Councilwoman Robin Cape are in line to lose their seats.
With 78.8 percent of the vote, Mayor Terry Bellamy is coasting to an easy victory over political unknown Robert Edwards.
Manheimer is leading the race with 19.2 percent of the vote, Smith is in second at 18.5 percent and Bothwell is third at 17.3 percent. Mumpower has 13.9 percent of the vote and all write-in votes combined account for 13.5 percent. Cape mounted a write-in campaign after deciding to run for another term after the deadline to be listed on the ballot passed. J. Neal Jackson has 10.2 percent of the vote and Ryan Croft is last with 7.4 percent.
Cape appeared Tuesday night to be considering a challenge of the results. The Buncombe County Board of Elections is counting write-in ballots for Cape only if voters colored in an oval space on the ballot saying they wished to vote for a write-in candidate then wrote Cape’s name in a space provided. Cape questioned in an interview with the Citizen-Times whether that process captures voters’ intentions.
Asked if she’ll contest the results, Cape said, “We know about protest – let’s put it that way.” The returns would result in the election of the top three voter-getters in the Oct. 6 primary, although their order of finish changed.
Bothwell led all candidates in the primary, followed in order by Smith, Manheimer, Councilman Kelly Miller, Mumpower, Jackson, Croft and three other candidates. Miller dropped out of the race shortly after the primary, saying he needed to help his wife, who is battling cancer.
18 CONTRACTS TOTALING MORE THAN $56.6 MILLION AWARDED FOR HIGHWAY PROJECTS ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA
18 CONTRACTS TOTALING MORE THAN $56.6 MILLION AWARDED FOR HIGHWAY PROJECTS ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA: Includes 11 funded through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Governor’s Press Release)
RALEIGH — Gov. Bev Perdue announced today that 18 contracts totaling $56.6 million have been awarded for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina, including 11 projects funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The contracts were awarded by the N.C. Department of Transportation to the lowest respective bidder, as required by state law. A list of the projects is attached.
“These recovery projects continue to help us to put North Carolinians to work and to deliver critical infrastructure improvements that will have a long-lasting economic impact on our state,” said. Gov. Perdue.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, every $1 million spent on transportation creates 30 jobs, and according to the construction industry, every dollar invested in transportation generates $6 in economic impact.
The 11 recovery projects are located in Anson, Cabarrus, Craven, Greene, Iredell, Johnston, Nash, Orange, Rockingham, Wilson and Yadkin counties. The seven other projects are located in Cabarrus, Chatham, Randolph, Richmond, Scotland, Stanly and Union counties. See the attached list for respective start dates.
The bids received on all 18 projects advertised came in 16.5 percent, or about $11.1 million, below NCDOT estimates.
For more information about funding for infrastructure improvements in North Carolina, as well as other NCDOT projects and activities, visit www.ncdot.gov.
November 3, 2009
Contact: Chrissy Pearson
Cell: (919) 215-4669
Office: (919) 733-0767
