Raleigh City Council member James West has emerged as the likely successor to resigning Wake County Board of Commissioners member Harold Webb, a Democratic party official said today.
West, the councilman for Raleigh's District C in east and south Raleigh since 1999, has served as the council's mayor pro tem since 2003. Webb, 85, wrote a letter of resignation to fellow commission members on Wednesday.
"Although I will certainly miss the day to day responsibilities of the office, I will cherish and remember with fondness the friends made during my time on the board and the many accomplishments we were able to implement for the betterment of Wake County," Webb wrote.
The executive committee of the Wake County Democratic Party will meet Tuesday to nominate a successor to Webb, with a subsequent vote by the board of commissioners to follow, said former party chief Jack Nichols, who is stepping down because he is running for a commission seat.
"His is the only name that's been put forward," Nichols said today of West.
The likely replacement for West on city council is former Broughton High School teacher Eugene Weeks, who has been active in Democratic politics and served on city boards, Nichols said.
Neither West nor Weeks could be immediately reached for comment.
thomas.goldsmith@newsobserver.com or 919-829-8929
