Wake Democrats choose nominee to fill vacant county commissioner’s seat
Wake County Democrats nominated Safiyah Jackson on Tuesday night to fill the open seat on the Wake County Board of Commissioners.
Five candidates were vying to succeed Matt Calabria, who resigned from the board’s District 2 seat to head Gov. Josh Stein’s recovery office for Western North Carolina.
There are two years left on Calabria’s term. He is a registered Democrat, so the Wake County Democratic Party gets to nominate a replacement to be voted on by the Wake County Board of Commissioners.
The County Executive Committee of the Wake County Democratic Party includes precinct chairs and vice chairs, elected officials at any level of Wake County government and elected members of the county’s Executive Council.
Who is Safiyah Jackson?
Safiyah Jackson is the chief strategy officer at the N.C. Partnership for Children/Smart Start Network.
She ran unsuccessfully against state Rep. Erin Paré, a Republican, last year for N.C. House District 37.
Who were the other candidates?
- Lindy Brown, former Wake County commissioner
- Demian Dellinger, current Garner Town Council member
- William “Bill” Harris, current Fuquay-Varina commissioner
- Christine Kelly, former Holly Springs Town Council member
What are the requirements?
The candidate must be a registered Democrat, registered to vote and live in District 2, covering southern Wake County.
What happens next?
The county commissioners must vote on the nominee within 30 days. If they do not accept the nomination, the Wake County Democrats will have to make a second nomination.
This story was originally published January 25, 2025 at 7:30 AM.
