News & Observer endorsements: Our choices for Raleigh City Council

To say Raleigh has changed a lot since the last City Council race would be putting it lightly. The last election was in 2019: before COVID-19 hit the United States, before the Black Lives Matter protests in summer 2020, before Biden was elected president.

Some issues were already present last election cycle, but have revved up thanks to inflation and an unprecedented increase in economic development. Rents have gone up significantly in the last year alone. Home prices are up 21% from 2021. There has been a stall on affordable housing thanks to the cost of construction materials.

Raleigh is in its coming-of-age story, and now is the time for the city to choose who it wants to be. Growth is inevitable, and we must be ready for it. At the same time, we can’t let racial equity and support for longtime Raleigh residents fall to the wayside.

The current City Council has had to work with these adverse conditions. There have been high points, like 2020’s affordable housing bond and the creation of a police advisory board. There are projects in development that will improve Raleigh transit and create new attractions for the city.

There have also been some concerns, primarily the dissolution of Citizen Advisory Councils (CACs) without a new plan in place. It is such a concern, in fact, that it has become a campaign issue for multiple candidates. For all candidates, especially incumbents, we would like to see a focus on improving community engagement and finding the best possible ways to make sure people feel heard. Whether this involves creating a replacement for CACs or reinstating the groups is up to them.

There were going to be shake-ups on the city council no matter what. Three incumbent council members decided not to run this cycle. Stormie Forte, who was appointed in 2020 to represent District D, chose to run for the open at-large seat. The candidates are well-aware of Raleigh’s transient state, and know that growth is inevitable. How we handle that growth is up to who runs the city.

You can find your city council district here.

At-Large

There are seven candidates running for Raleigh’s two at-large city council seats, including current council members Jonathan Melton and Stormie Forte. Two other candidates — Anne Franklin and John Odom — have served multiple previous terms on council. The others come from a range of experience. Former Raleigh-Apex NAACP President Portia Rochelle, is running. So is self-described socialist and Occupy Raleigh activist Joshua Bradley. James Bledsoe is a combat veteran who has been involved in his neighborhood’s HOA.

However, Melton and Forte are two voices we benefit from hearing on the City Council. Melton is a divorce lawyer who says he never pictured running for public office before the 2019 election. He has been part of council initiatives to improve transit options and has championed LGBTQ rights both in and out of city hall. Forte is a consultant, a Raleigh native and the first Black woman to serve on City Council. She prioritizes affordable housing and wants to find balance to protect residents. We recommend Jonathan Melton and Stormie Forte for Raleigh City Council at-large.

District A

Patrick Buffkin decided not to seek re-election for his District A seat, leaving the field open for any of the three candidates in this race. Mary Black-Branch, Whitney Hill and Cat Lawson are all vying for this seat. Hill is a business owner and bills public safety as his top priority. Lawson is a Duke Law lecturer and prioritizes housing (she was also named an N.C. Influencer by The News & Observer). Black-Branch grew up in Raleigh and graduated from NC A&T University with a degree in environmental studies.

Lawson is the establishment choice, and has been endorsed by Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin and former Mayor Charles Meeker. She is the most akin to Buffkin, who lost in the primary for the district’s NC Senate seat. If the voters are looking for someone with less establishment ties, Black-Branch is the better choice. She was the youngest member of Raleigh’s Environmental Advisory Board, and she works for the Chisholm Legacy Project, which champions environmental justice. Business Insider named her to their list of “30 of the top global leaders working toward climate solutions.” She brings a fresh perspective, and would be a voice for the youngest professionals moving to the area. We recommend Mary Black-Branch for District A.

District B

Council member David Cox is giving up his seat in District B, and four candidates are vying for the spot after Zainab Baloch decided to leave the race. Also, we did not hear from Jakob Lorberblatt when setting up candidate interviews. Minu Lee is a current N.C. State student and substitute teacher for Wake County schools who wants to see improved transit and smart growth. Frank Pierce is a small business owner and teacher who ran for the state house in May this year.

Megan Patton is our pick. The former schoolteacher and mother says she sees Raleigh’s future in terms of both her mother, who wants to move to Raleigh, and her daughter, who will be raised here. She prioritizes housing and wants to see new modes of public transit developed. We recommend Megan Patton for District B.

District C

District C’s race is between incumbent Corey Branch, non-profit employee Wanda Hunter, and small business owner Frank T. Fields III. Fields did not get back to us about the endorsement interview, leaving Branch and Hunter. Branch has served on council since 2015, and has made transit a priority during that time. Hunter is a nonprofit employee who wants to ensure justice is at the forefront of all economic and transit decisions. We recommend Corey Branch for District C.

District D

Since Forte is running for an at-large seat, District D is open and four candidates are in the running. Jane Harrison is an NC State researcher with a PhD in natural resource management. Todd Kennedy has lived in the area since the 1990s, and has served on both government advisory boards and held leadership roles at non-profits. Rob Baumgart is a landlord and small business owner who is concerned about the cost of living. Jennifer Truman is an architect who participated in the Southwest Raleigh CAC.

While all four candidates bring their own strengths, Harrison has a combination of expertise from her professional career and experience leading the West Raleigh CAC. We recommend Jane Harrison for District D.

District E

Finally, District E is a race between incumbent David Knight and Christina Jones, an advocate for community engagement. Jones has served as a member of the community engagement task force, is a former CAC president and says she tries to speak at every council meeting. Knight, however, has years of experience as a lawyer, lobbyist and community leader. He describes his philosophy as being more moderate and focused on compromise, and wants to see reforms that will make building easier, even if it means letting city staff take control of a project. We recommend David Knight for District E.