Wake County Commissioner Betty Lou Ward not running for re-election

Longtime Wake County Commissioner Betty Lou Ward announced Monday that she will not run for re-election in 2016, ending what will be 28 years of service on the board.

Ward, 79, first joined the Board of Commissioners to represent District 6 in 1988.

Her announcement was subtle: In a meeting, she told Cary leaders she wants to help resolve growth issues before she retires.

She hopes that by airing her plans now she’ll attract newcomers to the election.

“I just think it’s important that young people begin to think about their commitment to public service,” she said. She and her husband plan to travel together. She has no successor in mind.

Come 2018, new legislative lines approved by the Republican-led legislature would have put Ward in competition with fellow Democrats James West and Caroline Sullivan. But Ward said the new maps don’t figure into her plans.

Wake County Democratic Party Chairman Brian Fitzsimmons, a plaintiff in a challenge of the redistricting, said Monday the party has already begun the process of finding a successor to Ward, a former board chair.

“Few embody the ideals of public service better than Commissioner Betty Lou Ward,” Fitzsimmons said in a written statement.

Ward hopes to see through the county’s planning for transit changes. Chairman James West had some words of encouragement.

“You can do anything you want,” West told her. “You can stay as long as you want.”

This story was originally published April 20, 2015 at 4:51 PM with the headline "Wake County Commissioner Betty Lou Ward not running for re-election."