Updated Oct. 9, 2019 at 3 p.m.
We know what you’re thinking this a.m.: Do we have a new mayor? And, we wish we had a cut + dry answer for you. But, alas, it’s more complicated than that.
Tuesday’s mayoral elections resulted in a runoff, because no candidate got 51% of the vote. So, it’s municipal election season for another month. Mark your calendar: Runoff elections are Tues. Nov. 5. 🗳️
Here’s who we’ll be voting on during runoffs –
Mary-Ann Baldwin – 20,755 votes (38%)
Five-term at large Raleigh City Councilor. The co-founder of Innovate Raleigh and vice president of marketing and business development at Holt Brothers Construction. She has previously served as chair of the Raleigh law and public safety committee and was an elected city council member from 2007 to 2018. ➡️ Read Indy Week’s candidate questionnaire with Mary-Ann here.
Charles Francis – 16,91 votes (31%)
Previously served on City Council in 1993. Born-and-raised Raleighite and a graduate of Duke’s law program. He is the founding director and vice chairman of North State Bank and a former federal prosecutor. ➡️ Read Indy Week’s candidate questionnaire with Charles here.
The third-place runner up is Caroline Sullivan with 11,121 votes (21%).
Who won the city council seats?
- Patrick Buffkin – District A
- David Cox (incumbent) – District B
- Corey Branch (incumbent) – District C
- District D will be decided during the runoff election, between Saige Martin + Kay C. Crowder (incumbent)
- David Knight – District E
In Cary, Mayor Harold Weinbrecht was re-elected and Ya Liu won the District D council seat, beating incumbent Ken George.
In Durham,Tuesday’s primary narrowed a crowded field of 10 down to 6 candidates: Joshua Gunn, Jackie Wagstaff, Daniel Meier, Jillian Johnson, Charlie Reece + Javiera Caballero. The election will also be on Nov. 5, alongside Durham’s mayoral race + voting for a $95 million affordable housing bond.
Fayetteville, Goldboro, Rocky Mount, Dunn, Erwin and Henderson also all had elections. See the full results here.
Everything you need to know about Raleigh’s Mayoral election, 2019
Updated Oct. 7 2019 at 5 p.m.
The city of Raleigh is holding two general elections on today — for the office of mayor + all 7 seats on the city council. 🗳️
First, how does Raleigh’s local government system work? We have a council-manager government system. In our system, the mayor is effectively a voting member of the council, and the council at large appoints a city manager to oversee budget, staff, and day-to-day operations. This differs from both the strong and weak mayor-council systems which is used in many other cities. Our current mayor is independent Nancy McFarlane, who was first elected in 2011 – who isn’t seeking relectation.
Here’s what you need to know.First, it’s not too late to register. You can register in-person at polling locations – bring proof of residence (i.e. utility bill, paycheck, etc. with address on it) and a photo ID or other government issued identification. The Raleigh Mayoral race is a nonpartisan election, however according to their Indy Week candidate questionnaires, all are listed as Democrat except for Justin Sutton who is Independent.
🗓️If no candidate gets 50% + 1 of the vote, the candidate who comes in second can request a runoff. The runoff election is Tuesday, November 5.
Where to Vote
You’re required to vote within your precinct, but with more than 200 polling locations across Wake County — including Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs, Morrisville, Raleigh, Wendell, Willow Spring and Zebulon — getting to the ballot box should be pretty straightforward. Click here to find your assigned polling place, view a sample ballot. While Tuesday is the official voting day, you can beat the crowds by voting early at one of these early-voting locations until Friday Oct. 4.
Wake County’s polling location finder tool | WakeGov.com
Who’s Running for Mayor
*Candidates in alphabetical order by last name
Mary-Ann Baldwin (D)
Five-term at large Raleigh City Councilor. The co-founder of Innovate Raleigh and vice president of marketing and business development at Holt Brothers Construction. She has previously served as chair of the Raleigh law and public safety committee and was an elected city council member from 2007 to 2018. ➡️ Read Indy Week’s candidate questionnaire with Mary-Ann here.
Zainab Baloch (D)
A Raleigh native, attended NC State, and earned a master’s degree in public administration from UNC last year. She has experience working with grassroots organizations like Wake Up Wake County and the DC-based Poor People’s Campaign.➡️ Read Indy Week’s candidate questionnaire with Zainab here.
Charles Francis (D)
Previously served on City Council in 1993. Born-and-raised Raleighite and a graduate of Duke’s law program. He is the founding director and vice chairman of North State Bank and a former federal prosecutor. ➡️ Read Indy Week’s candidate questionnaire with Charles here.
George Knott (D)
An upright bass player and says he doesn’t actually want to be mayor (yes, you read that right). According to his website, he’s using the election cycle platform to promote a Non-Discrimination Ordinance for the city. ➡️ Read Indy Week’s candidate questionnaire with George here.
A UNC alumna, her career experience includes working as a senior advisor for the North Carolina Business Committee for Education. She previously served as the chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners on the budget, audit, and finance committee. ➡️ Read Indy Week’s candidate questionnaire with Carolina here.
Justin Sutton (Independent)
Born in Raleigh and received his bachelor’s, master’s, and law degrees from NC State. As a career procurement attorney at the NC Department of Administration, he has experience providing counsel to state cabinet agencies, community colleges, municipal departments, and government stakeholders. ➡️ Read Indy Week’s candidate questionnaire with Justin here.
City Council Elections
With member positions up for grabs across in all five districts + two at-large seats, the field is hot with 21 total candidates. ➡️Click here to find out more about the candidates vying for your neighborhood’s vote.
Voting this week?
📸Share photos with your “I voted” sticker and tag #RALtoday. We may share on our Instagram account, @RALtoday. 🙌