Wake commissioners pick new member for county board
As of Monday, Safiyah Jackson is Wake County’s newest commissioner.
The Wake County Board of Commissioners unanimously chose Jackson 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.
She took the oath of office during Monday afternoon’s board meeting.
“I take this seat today as an advocate for the early years,” she said. “I pledge to put the youngest neighbors at the center of everything we do because it benefits the adults of today and the adults of tomorrow. I believe that a thriving community starts with happy kids, good schools and support for families and teachers.”
Jackson was one of five candidates the Wake County Democratic Party considered before nominating her.
There are two years left on Calabria’s term. He is a registered Democrat, so the Democratic Party gets to nominate a replacement to the 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.
This story was originally published February 3, 2025 at 5:57 PM with the headline "Wake commissioners pick new member for county board."
