Police were called about a Wake County candidate. He says there’s more to the story.
There was cursing. And police were called to the Herbert C. Young Community Center in Cary on Feb. 16.
But that’s where the agreement ends.
Bill Madden, one of two Democratic candidates for Wake County register of deeds, is accused of being “aggressively confrontational” with local election staff .
The events are spelled out in a memo that Wake County Elections Director Gary Sims sent to the N.C. State Board of Election that Sunday. Sims stressed that his memo was informational, not an official complaint.
But Madden said he has a “different story.”
When people run for public office they open themselves to “criticism like this,” he said, calling this incident “a mountain (being made) out of a molehill.”
Madden was soliciting votes within the buffer zone at the Cary community center, according to the memo. Board of Elections staff was notified through the county’s help line.
State law prohibits candidates and their supporters from campaigning within 50 feet of polling places.
“He was confronted by supervisor Peggy Defenderfer and told to stop and (that) he could not campaign inside the enclosure,” according to the memo.
But Madden says he wasn’t campaigning and had even removed his name tag He says he went into the community center, where early voting was taking place, to tell election workers he had been threatened by a parking attendant who “was being aggressive toward” him.
‘Cuss and complain’
The memo says Madden confronted Defenderfer, used the “f word” and referenced a traffic control person whom “he had a personal background with and did not like.”
“Mr. Madden was aggressively confrontational with Mrs. Defenderfer and continued to cuss and complain in an intimidating manner with her,” according to the memo. “He summarized that he was bigger than the parking official and he is lucky. He did not say what he would have done, but that in itself should not have even been alluded to.”
Madden says he did curse but not about Defenderfer. He says he knew the parking attendant through a soccer referee program, but that they hadn’t previously been hostile with one another.
“I could have handled it better, but I felt threatened by (the parking attendant) and I wanted to back away from the guy and talk to the supervisor of the poll site,” he said.
The memo describes Madden as driving aggressively in the parking deck and refusing to leave after parking in a no parking area. Madden denies driving aggressively and says there wasn’t a no parking sign.
‘It’s frustrating’
When Sims approached Madden, the candidate started recording him with his phone. Madden declined to share that video with The News & Observer.
Sims told Madden “that we needed to address all of his violations and in particular his intimidating behavior and cussing at our officials,” according to Sims’ memo. “I explained that he was running for public office and should conduct himself accordingly. He decided to take out his camera, and I welcomed him to do that because we needed to continue to address his behavior and I was not going to accept him cussing at or intimidating my team members.”
Madden was “visibly angry” so Sims left, called Wake County Board of Election Chairman Greg Flynn and then called the Cary Police Department’s non-emergency line, according to the memo. A police officer arrived, spoke to Madden and he moved his vehicle.
“It’s frustrating,” Madden said. “This type of thing keeps good people from wanting to improve government. You have to have a thick skin.”
Madden is running against Tammy Brunner in the Democratic primary for register of deeds. The winner will face Republican incumbent Charles Gilliam in November.
This story was originally published February 25, 2020 at 11:46 AM.
