The filing deadline closed on July 19 in this year's mayoral race in Raleigh, North Carolina’s second-largest and capital city, and, with independent Mayor Nancy McFarlane not seeking a fifth two-year term, the contest is wide open. Infrastructure and affordable housing have been the prevailing issues candidates have focused on in this race, six of whom have filed for the officially nonpartisan election on Oct. 8.
Three contenders have been running since at least March: attorney and 2017 candidate Charles Francis; former Raleigh City Council member Mary-Ann Baldwin; and former Wake County Commissioner Caroline Sullivan. Francis lost to McFarlane in a runoff by a 58-42 margin, the closest election of the incumbent's career. Francis, Baldwin, and Sullivan are all Democrats.
Musician George Knott, attorney Justin Sutton, and 2017 Raleigh City Council candidate Zainab Baloch, meanwhile, are newcomers to the field, all kicking off bids in April or later. Baloch, 27, would be Raleigh’s youngest mayor, in addition to being the first Muslim and woman of color to hold the office.
A major topic on the campaign trail has been the chilly relationship between the city council and the mayor’s office during McFarlane’s tenure, owing mainly to their divergent ideas on growth policies for the city. McFarlane has championed pro-development policies, such as allowing residents to use their homes for Airbnb rentals, but she’s faced considerable pushback from the council.
Francis has promised to end the “dysfunction” on the council, highlighting his close relationships with several members. Baldwin has taken a more hardline approach, publicly criticizing the city council for its "acrimony" and alleged foot-dragging on key controversies. Sullivan, for her part, has pledged to end the “divisiveness and pettiness” in the city’s politics. The candidates have, however, generally preferred to focus on the poisonous political atmosphere in Raleigh rather than the underlying issues that have caused a split between McFarlane and the council.
July 26 was the first fundraising deadline, which brings us the first glimpse of which candidates will have the resources to compete in the fall election. The three early entrants led the way, with Sullivan raking in $215,000, Francis bringing in $150,000, and Baldwin collecting $125,000. The rest of the field trailed far behind, with Baloch raising $15,000 and Sutton just $4,500. Knott is not taking money in this election and, as such, did not report any contributions.
This first tier of candidates could be on track to outpace fundraising levels in the most recent mayoral face-off: The News and Observer notes that in 2017, Francis hauled in $300,000 while McFarlane brought in $250,000, all told. With more than two months still to go, there's plenty of time for this year's hopefuls to eclipse those marks.
A majority is needed to win outright in October, and the wide field makes it likely no candidate will meet that threshold. If no one takes more than 50% in the first round of voting, the top two vote getters will advance to a Nov. 5 runoff.
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