Raleigh Public Record (https://theraleighcommons.org/raleighpublicrecord/topics/voter-guide-2013/)
Our reporters have spent months interviewing candidates and dissecting issues to bring you the most comprehensive guide to voting in Raleigh. We have analysis on the transportation and schools bonds, legislative changes to elections, and profiled almost every candidate running for Raleigh City Council and the Wake County Board of Education.
Randy Stagner
District: City Council, District A
Age: 53
Occupation: Retired Army Special Operations Colonel
Incumbent: Yes, 1 term
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Why should your constituents elect you? My constituents should re-elect me based on the fact that I’ve done exactly what I said I would do two years ago. When I knocked on their doors, I would introduce myself, let them know that after 28 years of military service, my wife Deborah and I chose to live in North Raleigh for the quality of life here, that was five years ago, in 2008. I believe that it’s incumbent upon me to preserve and improve upon that quality of life. That quality of life is what attracts a quality workforce, of well-trained, well-educated to Raleigh.
Matt Scruggs
District: Wake School Board, District 2
Age: 33
Occupation: Commercial Sales Manager in automotive industry
City of Residence: Fuquay-Varina
Incumbent: No
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Do you have children in the district? If so, explain. My children are not old enough yet, but they will be in the district that I am running for once they are of age. The school board has been divided over partisan politics in recent years. How do you think that’s affected how the district has been run?
Eugene Weeks
District: City Council, District C
Age: 72
Occupation: Retired military and retired educator
City of Residence: Raleigh
Incumbent: Yes, 2 years and 9 months
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Why should your constituents elect you? My constituents should re-elect me because I’ve had successful rate in trying to get things done in my district, which is the southeast Raleigh district. And everything that’s been brought forth to me and other things that I’ve felt that needed to be done in my district, I have appealed and tried to get successfully passed on some of the things that need to be done to increase the quality of life in southeast Raleigh. Many issues taken up by the state legislature have a direct impact on Raleigh. How can Councilors work better with the state legislature on those issues?
Racquel Williams
District: City Council, District C
Age: 37
Occupation: Author, trainer, motivational speaker
City of Residence: Raleigh
Incumbent: No
Venita Peyton
District: Mayor
Age: 57
Occupation: Principal broker, Greater Raleigh Real Estate
City of Residence: Raleigh
Incumbent: No
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What do you see the role of the mayor as in Raleigh city government and how would you be the most effective mayor? In your larger cities, when you have a city controlled city like Detroit, D.C., the city mayor’s role is the same as we see the city manager. On the role here, this person would be the one who helps to lead and direct the City Councilors, and as it is we are all voted on at the same time, we all have equal votes, so the most important thing to me would be establishing rapport and credibility with them so we can all move forward. So their role is in establishing policy. Many issues taken up by the state legislature have a direct impact on Raleigh.
Local politics and policy are what we do here at Raleigh Public Record, and local elections are always one of our favorite times every two years. Every other October, the voters of Raleigh get to choose a new mayor and City Council. This year we also have a transportation bond on the ballot, and the people of WakeCounty get to decide on four school board seats and a schools bond. Turnout tends to be pretty low for these off-year October elections. County wide, turnout two years ago was a little more than 21 percent, and those numbers were very high because of the contentious school board elections.
Jason Spriggs
District: At Large
Age: 31
Occupation: Businessman and Photographer
Incumbent: No
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Why should your constituents elect you for City Council? Because I’m different. I guess you hear that a lot. I think nowadays you don’t even hear it as much as you used to. But I’m different.
Brian Fitzsimmons
District: City Council, District B
Age: 31
Occupation: Chief Operating Officer of The Sorin Insurance Group
Incumbent: No
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Why should your constituents elect you? I think the most important reasons are the fact that I represent the people and I am a demographic that is very common in our district, which is I have two young kids, and I’m active in the local business community, and I think that I really do represent a very specific, but also a demographic that is very common in District B.
District B has a lot of residential areas and so I think I represent that well, but more so I think, if I had to answer the question of why should people elect me, there’s no stronger reason other than the fact that I’m not really afraid of saying ‘no.’ And what I mean by that is that I’m not doing this to do what’s popular. I’m doing this to do what’s right and I go into this with a very open mind. But I’ve got to go into a position like this with the understanding that you know what, there might be a situation down the road that I might be enlightened. I might learn something, and my position might change.
Russ Stephenson
District: At Large
Age: 57
Occupation: Architect and urban designer
Incumbent: Yes, 8 years
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Why should your constituents re-elect you? I think Raleigh has had great success over the past 10 or 12 years probably, in rising to the top of the national rankings. And that kind of success doesn’t happen by accident, but by a concerted effort on many fronts to set goals for that success. And so, I think we’ve done a great job, serving the eight years I’ve been on there. I’ve been a strong advocate for high-quality services that are affordable, that attract high-paying jobs.
