Former NC State Treasurer Janet Cowell to run for Raleigh mayor

Anna Johnson

Janet Cowell, a former Raleigh City Council member and former state treasurer, is running to be Raleigh’s next mayor.

“As mayor, I’ll work every day to build a city that works together for everyone,” she said in a news release Monday morning.

“I’ll focus on housing and planning for growth, public safety and helping our neighbors, and environmental protection and community resilience,” she said. “To make progress on these issues, the city needs to strengthen its partnerships with state and county government, nonprofits and the business community.”

Cowell is the president and CEO of the Dix Park Conservancy, a nonprofit that raises money for Dix Park as a partner for the city.

Former Mayors Nancy McFarlane and Charles Meeker have already endorsed Cowell, according to her website.

She was first elected to the Raleigh City Council in 2001, serving two terms. She was then elected to the state Senate in 2004. In 2008, she was elected as the state’s first woman state treasurer. She served for terms. She first moved to Raleigh in 1997.

“Most of all, I’ll work with the citizens of Raleigh, who I know through experience to be some of the smartest, most creative and hardworking people in the nation,” Cowell said in a news release. “Working together we can protect Raleigh’s character while continuing to be a destination for families, entrepreneurs and innovators from around the country and world.”

Who else is running for Raleigh mayor?

Cowell joins an already crowded field of candidates. Others include:

  • Raleigh City Council member Corey Branch

  • Mortgage broker Paul Fitts

  • Activist Delmonte Crawford

  • Pre-law student James Shaughnessy IV

Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin has said she’ll announce in the spring whether she will run for re-election.

“My intent, at this point, is to run again,” Baldwin has told The News & Observer. “We’ve still got work to do. And we need leadership. I’ve led on issues from affordable housing to transit, and I’m finally seeing results. And I don’t want to see things go sideways.”

The city’s two at-large council members, Jonathan Melton and Stormie Forte, have both said they plan to run for a citywide seat but have not said yet if they intend to run for re-election to their council seat or for the mayoral seat.

All eight seats on the Raleigh City Council are up for election in 2024. Filing for the city elections begins at noon July 5 and goes through noon July 19. The election is Nov. 5.

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