Raleigh City Council member won’t run for re-election
Raleigh City Council member Patrick Buffkin will not seek re-election to his council seat.
Buffkin, 39, sought the Democratic nomination for N.C. Senate District 13 during the March primary but was defeated by Lisa Grafstein, who won 66% of the vote.
The first-term council member could have filed for re-election but decided against it, citing the arrival of a baby boy in September.
“Rachael and I are incredibly excited to welcome our first child into the world, and it is the right time for me to focus on our home life,” Buffkin said in a news release. “It has been a great honor to represent North Raleigh on the City Council. I have been a part of making government work better for people and contributing to a sustainable and equitable long-term future for Raleigh. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience.”
His term ends in December, and he said he still has priorities to focus on for the rest of the year.
“Two priorities are getting raises for our police officers and firefighters and creating a municipal service district for the Midtown area,” Buffkin said. “Passing the parks bond in November is probably the most important issue on the ballot, while our city continues to advance on housing affordability and transportation.”
Buffkin also told The News & Observer he is not seeking the nomination to replace N.C. Rep. Grier Martin, who just announced his resignation to work in the Biden administration.
Filing for the Raleigh City Council elections begins July 1.
Two candidates, Mary Black and Cat Lawson, have already announced their plans to run for the District A seat.
Buffkin is the third member of the eight-person council to not seek re-election this fall.
Council members David Cox and Nicole Stewart have both said they will not seek another term.
This story was originally published June 6, 2022 at 12:26 PM.
