Wake Ed

WakeEd

Wake County Democrats asking for money for 2016 elections

By T. Keung Hui

khui@newsobserver.com

Dickie Thompson, right, and Brian Fitzsimmons with the Wake County Democratic party check returns as they come in. They were at Thompson's house and shortly after they celebrated his win in the Raleigh City Council District A race with supporters at his home in Raleigh on Nov. 3, 2015.
Dickie Thompson, right, and Brian Fitzsimmons with the Wake County Democratic party check returns as they come in. They were at Thompson's house and shortly after they celebrated his win in the Raleigh City Council District A race with supporters at his home in Raleigh on Nov. 3, 2015. Chris Seward cseward@newsobserver.com

One day after municipal elections were held, the Wake County Democratic Party is asking for donations “to help us hit the ground running” for next year’s local, state and national elections.

In an email Wednesday, Wake County Democratic Party Chairman Brian Fitzsimmons tells supporters to “help us secure the 2013 gains on our School Board and 2014 gains on our County Commission. Help us ensure 2016 gains in our General Assembly, Council of State, Congress, Senate and return the Governor's Mansion to the right hands.”

“p.s. We can't stress how important 2016 is to the future of Wake County and North Carolina, please join us today!” Fitzsimmons closes in the request for donations.

Next year, all nine Wake school board seats are on the ballot under new election lines adopted by the Republican-led General Assembly. Eight of the nine members on the officially non-partisan school board were endorsed by the Wake County Democratic Party.

But analysis of voting records for the new lines, which the General Assembly also adopted for the Wake County Board of Commissioners, suggests that Republicans could gain a 5-4 majority.

Next year, five of the seats on the now enlarged nine-member Wake County Board of Commissioners will be on the ballot. All seven current seats are held by Democrats.

The trial for the federal lawsuit challenging the new lines for both boards begins Dec. 16.

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