Southeast Raleigh’s newest state lawmaker will likely be picked in Tuesday’s primary
No matter what, Southeast Raleigh will have a new representative in the North Carolina General Assembly starting next year. And it’s likely going to be whoever wins the Democratic primary on Tuesday.
The Democrats facing off in the primary are Quanta Monique Edwards and Abe Jones. The district is one of the most heavily Democratic in the entire state. Rep. Yvonne Holley has represented it since 2012, and received more than 80% of the vote in a three-way race in 2018. But she isn’t running for re-election in 2020.
Instead, Holley is seeking higher office — she’s one of six Democrats running for lieutenant governor.
Like Holley, both Jones and Edwards are African Americans who grew up in Wake County and have gone on to establish successful careers.
Jones, 67, is a Harvard Law School graduate and former Wake County judge who now runs a solo law firm.
Edwards, 42, is a UNC graduate and a licensed Realtor who has her own real estate firm.
The district they’re running for is one of two that represents the longtime African-American neighborhoods to the south and east of downtown Raleigh in the NC House of Representatives. The other seat is held by Democratic Rep. Rosa Gill. She’s a retired teacher and has been in the state legislature for more than a decade.
Gill’s district also stretches south into Garner; Holley’s district goes north, along Capital Boulevard and Louisburg Road from downtown up to Interstate 540.
Gill also faces a challenger in the primary, Antoine Marshall. He grew up in Southeast Raleigh and later worked in South Carolina politics, including for Democratic U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, before returning home to work as an attorney.
While there will be a Republican and a Libertarian on the ballot in November, whoever wins the upcoming Democratic primary will be the overwhelming favorite to replace Holley.
Where the candidates stand
The News & Observer sent a questionnaire to all the legislative candidates in the Triangle with a primary race, to help voters learn more about them. Gill and Marshall both responded, as did Jones and Edwards.
Both Jones and Edwards said they support Medicaid expansion, redistricting reform and higher pay for teachers and other state workers.
“The state legislature, controlled by the current Republican legislature, has engaged in unprecedented partisan gerrymandering particularly designed to undercut African-American voters,” Jones said of his support for redistricting reform.
On teachers and other state workers, Edwards said: “I would like to see an increase for state employees who earn less than $60,000 annually and the raise should be no less than 2% every other year.”
While they agree on some key issues, they also set themselves apart — not just with their resumes, but with other priorities they said they would have if elected.
Jones said he wants to focus on gun control, and Edwards said she wants to focus on affordable housing.
“As a housing advocate and board member for various causes, I have taken on affordable housing initiatives across the state and in the local area, addressed the needs and concerns of first time young mothers and their children and worked with various not for profit organizations around health care needs for small business owners,” Edwards said.
“The legislature has to seriously consider a state assault weapons ban to cover weapons such as the AR-15 and AK-47,” Jones said.
In 2013, Jones was convicted of driving while impaired. In 2016, when he was running for a judicial seat, Jones told the N&O that, “I made a mistake. I’m not proud of it.” He added that he thought it would make him a better judge, though, since his experience being arrested and convicted improved his understanding of that side of the judicial system.
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This story was originally published February 29, 2020 at 10:58 AM.
