The results are in and Raleigh residents have their mayor and City Council for the next two years. Incumbents swept the election Tuesday with one exception in District A.
In a close race, challenger Wayne Maiorano took District A from incumbent Randy Stagner.
Maiorano edged out Stagner by only 249 votes.
Stagner has been taking heat from Maiorano thanks, in part, to some emails that were uncovered by the News & Observer after former City Manager Russell Allen was fired by the City Council in a 6 to 2 vote earlier this year.
- Wayne Maiorano
Back in January, Stagner asked Allen to better enforce the Councilor’s reserved parking spaces. When Allen didn’t immediately respond, Stagner wrote to the Council that he wanted to discuss the former city manager’s future.
Stagner later gave up his parking space, but has said the incident was not the reason Allen was let go in April.
Maiorano has frequently used the incident in his campaign against Stagner.
Incumbent Nancy McFarlane beat out challengers Venita Peyton and Robert Weltzin with an overwhelming 73 percent of the vote.
During her victory speech at Tir Na Nog Tuesday night, McFarlane told the crowd that, “Raleigh is the greatest city anywhere,” pointing to the fact that the city is constantly on top of “greatest city” lists.
Later she said, “We have to make sure in 30 years Raleigh is still on top of those lists.”
This will be McFarlane’s second term as Raleigh’s mayor.
Longtime District B incumbent John Odom will see another two years on the City Council. He won with 59 percent of the vote with challengers Brian Fitzsimmons and Sam Smith garnering 36 and 6 percent, respectively.
District C will be represented by incumbent Eugene Weeks for another two years. Weeks won in a landslide with 80 percent of the vote. Challengers Marcus Hill and Racquel Williams lost with each having 10 percent of the vote.
Thomas Crowder will continue to represent District D as he’s done for more than a decade. He won with an overwhelming 80 percent of the vote over first-time challenger Jim Kemp Sherron, who had 19 percent.
Councilor Bonner Gaylord ran unopposed in District E.
At Large Councilors Mary-Ann Baldwin and Russ Stephenson will continue to fill their Council seats. Baldwin and Stephenson beat out challengers Jason Spriggs and Rob Williams with 40 and 35 percent, respectively. Spriggs and Rob Williams garnered 13 and 12 percent of the vote, respectively.
