A new candidate announces he’s running to be Raleigh’s next mayor
Mere days into 2021 Raleigh already has its first challenger for mayor.
Terrance Ruth, 37, announced Monday he plans to run for the city’s highest office, and he didn’t hold back on how he thinks the incumbent is doing so far.
Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin beat five other candidates in 2019 to become mayor. She recently confirmed to The News & Observer she plans to run for re-election with a formal announcement set for early spring.
All eight seats on the Raleigh City Council, including the mayor’s, are up for re-election. The election is Oct. 5, 2021, and filing begins in July.
“I’m running to unite Raleigh, because what I see is a city that has become divided, and defensive,” Ruth said on his website. “I want to restore active citizen engagement, so we can find common purpose. I want to work with all of our residents to create a stronger, more inclusive and prosperous Raleigh. It is only by working together, as a united community, that we can meet the challenges ahead.”
Ruth is the executive director of Justice Love Foundation, a philanthropic foundation that supports social justice leaders, and is a lecturer in N.C. State University’s School of Social Work. He’s a former Wake County teacher and principal and previously served as executive director of the N.C. NAACP.
In his announcement, Ruth mentioned the successes or positions of previous mayors. He credited Clarence Lightner with creating the city’s Citizen Advisory Councils, which a majority of the current council, including Baldwin, voted to disband last year.
“Mayor Charles Meeker — who understands that in a prosperous economy, giving tax subsidies to the wealthy is a bad idea,” Ruth said. “Mayor Nancy McFarlane — she gave us a real moonshot, Dix Park, that brought divided voices together to benefit all of Raleigh.”
Baldwin announced a “moonshot” bond package early last year for affordable housing and parks, with only half coming to fruition due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A majority of the council, including Baldwin, also recently voted in favor of a rezoning for the Downtown South development and is debating a tax increment grant for the developers.
Ruth plans on “putting people first over self-interest or politics,” according to his news release.
“I pledge to restore fairness and transparency in everything we do in the tradition of our former mayors,” Ruth said. “I will work with the community and with business leaders. I will work diligently to give everyone a voice in how we operate our city.”
Ruth has not run for the City Council before but did express interest in running for the District 6 seat on the Wake County school board. He didn’t follow through with those plans when a new redistricting map resulted in incumbent Christine Kushner not seeking a seek in the legislature.
This story was originally published January 4, 2021 at 4:18 PM.
