Corey Branch withdraws from Raleigh mayor race. Here’s what’s next for the council member

Raleigh City Council member Corey Branch has withdrawn from the race to be the city’s next mayor, but he hopes to remain on the council.

Branch, 46, announced at a Wednesday news conference that, instead of mayor, he will run for re-election to his District C seat representing southeast Raleigh.

“We live in a world, a nation, a city that shifts and changes quickly,” said Branch, with his wife, Chandra, beside him.

“Think of where you were yourself in October of last year,” he said. “Since my initial announcement, my life has changed. And I also heard from a number of constituents, who told me how much they value how and what I brought to the city of Raleigh, in District C, and they felt my continued service inside the district, outweighed the opportunity to serve as mayor.”

He was one of the first candidates to announce he would seek to replace Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin, who isn’t seeking re-election. He filed to run in July.

He officially withdrew from the mayor’s race Tuesday.

“There were calls and the concerns and just residents saying, ‘Hey, we want you to continue to be our representative here within the district,’” he said. “And, being a native son, you know, you have to listen.”

The filing period for City Council candidates runs through Friday at noon. Branch said he plans to file for re-election on Thursday.

Four candidates have filed to run for mayor so far. Branch said he didn’t speak with them about his decision to drop out of the race, nor did a recent campaign finance deadline influence his decision.

‘I didn’t come to this lightly’

Branch was elected to the Raleigh City Council in 2015.

His initial plan to run for mayor opened his Southeast Raleigh seat for the first time in nearly a decade, and six candidates filed to replace him, making it the most crowded field of the election.

Branch reached out to some of the other District C candidates to let them know he was seeking re-election so they would not be surprised, he said.

Residents want someone to focus on economic development, community safety, transit, jobs, “training for our young people, dignity for our seniors” and affordable housing, he said. “Those are issues facing the entire city, but especially in Southeast Raleigh.”

“I didn’t come to this lightly,” Branch said. “Those who live in District C have historically had fewer resources and less focus has been placed on needs. Over the past nine years, voters have sent me to the City Council to raise concerns and work on their behalves, which I have done.

“I recognize that there are many people who were excited and supported my campaign for mayor. I hope that energy is transferable.”

2024 election

Baldwin announced she would not seek another term as mayor earlier this year, leaving the field open since she was first elected in 2019.

Four candidates have filed so far:

• Janet Cowell, former Raleigh City Council member and state treasurer,
• Paul Fitts, mortgage broker
• Eugene Myrick, community advocate
• James Shaughnessy IV, pre-law student

Terrance Ruth, an N.C. State University professor, has also announced his candidacy but had not filed as of Wednesday morning. Ruth received 41% of the vote against Baldwin during the 2022 municipal election.

Branch declined to name a mayoral candidate he planned to support but said “experience matters.”

“I believe not all have filed, but I do believe experience matters,” he said. “I think what someone has done in the past, where they have served, is very important and very key. And that’s what I will be looking at.”

This story was originally published July 17, 2024 at 9:25 AM.

Anna Roman

The News & Observer

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Anna Roman is a service journalism reporter for the News & Observer. She has previously covered city government, crime and business for newspapers across North Carolina and received many North Carolina Press Association awards, including first place for investigative reporting.