Current and former Raleigh mayors make endorsements in U.S. presidential race
Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin and former mayors Nancy McFarlane and Charles Meeker are the latest leaders to back Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg.
All three joined Bloomberg at last week’s rally at Raleigh Union Station, and the trio join a growing list of 100 mayors who have backed Bloomberg, including Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and Kinston Mayor Don Hardy.
“The people of Raleigh care about affordable housing, the environment and supporting entrepreneurs — especially for minority-owned businesses,” Baldwin said in a news release. “As a former mayor, Mike not only understands these issues, he has delivered results and has rolled out comprehensive plans to address them as our next president.”
Baldwin, who was sworn into office in December, introduced the former New York City mayor to supporters at his Raleigh office back in January.
“Here, in places like Raleigh, this is where new ideas and new ways of thinking are incubated, bubbling into conversations and public policy,” she said at the event. “No one knows the importance of innovation like Mayor Bloomberg.”
Baldwin previously told The News & Observer she didn’t plan to endorse anyone in the Democratic primary, but on Wednesday said she had heard Bloomberg speak three times and felt his “positions align with mine.”
She struggled with whether to endorse someone, she said, but decided doing something was better than nothing.
“Quite frankly I think he can win,” Baldwin said. “And I think he can move forward issues that have stumped others.”
In the Bloomberg campaign news release, McFarlane is praised for her leadership in acquiring Dorothea Dix Park while Meeker is “credited for revising downtown Raleigh and creating a thriving urban scene.”
“As a former mayor of 12 years, Mike has delivered solutions and proven his effectiveness whether in healthcare, education, or reducing incarcerations,” McFarlane said in a news release. “Our country needs the steady, thoughtful leadership that Mike will provide.”
Bloomberg foundation grants
Mayors across the country have received millions of dollars in grants and training from Bloomberg and his foundation, The New York Times has reported. The only two North Carolina mayors who have attended the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative are Lyles and Durham Mayor Steve Schewel. A phone call to Schewel was not returned Wednesday afternoon.
Raleigh hasn’t received funding from Bloomberg and Baldwin hasn’t attended his training, she previously said, but McFarlane did report speaking with him in 2011. In 2016, Raleigh participated in Bloomberg’s What Works Cities initiative, which provided “technical assistance” at no cost to the city, said Raleigh public information officer Julia Milstead.
No campaign donations from Bloomberg to the three Raleigh mayors were found in the state’s campaign finance records. Bloomberg did, however, donate $250,000 to the North Carolina Democratic Party and $5,100 to N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper in 2016.
Early voting is underway for the 2020 primary in North Carolina — the first time it’s joining other states on Super Tuesday. North Carolina has 110 delegates up for grabs, behind Texas and California. Bloomberg is polling in third in the state behind former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders.
This story was originally published February 19, 2020 at 9:00 AM.
