Raleigh attorney Stacy Miller says he will run for City Council

A local attorney announced Tuesday that he will run for a seat on the Raleigh City Council.

Stacy Miller of Miller Law Firm said he plans to run for one of the council’s two at-large seats on the Oct. 10 ballot.

“We need a plan for smart growth, infrastructure and a transportation system that supports our growth,” Miller said in a video statement.

Miller, 52, served on the council in 1997 when the board appointed him to replace Eric Reeves, who was elected to the state Senate.

That year, the council approved funding for what’s now known as PNC Arena off of Wade Avenue in west Raleigh. The arena is the home of the Carolina Hurricanes and N.C. State University’s men’s basketball team.

At the time, Miller told The News & Observer that he favored a downtown site for the arena but was willing to compromise. He didn’t seek to re-claim the District D seat in the following election, saying he needed to focus on his law practice.

Miller now lives in District E, currently represented by Bonner Gaylord, but says he opted to run at-large because he has support from residents all over the city.

Miller said he expects the race for the at-large seats will be competitive. They are currently held by longtime council members Mary-Ann Baldwin and Russ Stephenson, who have served on the council 10 and 12 years, respectively.

Baldwin said she hasn’t decided whether she’ll run again. Stephenson said he plans to announce his intentions soon.

Miller, who is an unaffiliated voter, said he doesn’t plan to target either council member with his campaign.

“I’m just running for one of the top two spots,” he said. “I think I’ll bring new energy and new vision.”

The candidate filing period doesn’t start until July 7, but Miller said in an interview that he announced early because he’s excited to hit the campaign trail.

“I knew I wanted to run,” he said. “I might as well start hustling now.”

This story was originally published March 28, 2017 at 11:02 AM with the headline "Raleigh attorney Stacy Miller says he will run for City Council."