Elections

NC Voter Guide: Here are the candidates running for Raleigh mayor and City Council

Five people are running to become Raleigh’s new mayor this fall. Top row: James Shaughnessy, Terrance Ruth and Janet Cowell. Bottom row: Eugene Myrick and Paul Fitts. Early voting runs from Oct. 17 to Nov. 2. Election Day is on Nov. 5.
Five people are running to become Raleigh’s new mayor this fall. Top row: James Shaughnessy, Terrance Ruth and Janet Cowell. Bottom row: Eugene Myrick and Paul Fitts. Early voting runs from Oct. 17 to Nov. 2. Election Day is on Nov. 5.

Voters will decide who will serve as Raleigh’s new mayor and City Council in this year’s general election.

All eight seats are up for grabs with more than two dozen candidates running. All the council incumbents, except for Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin, are seeking another two-year term. (The council will move to four-year terms starting in 2026.)

The News & Observer sent each candidate a questionnaire. You can read the responses from the candidates who responded at the links below.

Early voting for the general election runs from Oct. 17 to Nov. 2 in North Carolina. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Mayoral candidates, elected citywide

▪ Janet Cowell

▪ Paul Fitts

▪ Eugene Myrick

▪ Terrance Ruth

▪ James Shaughnessy

At-Large Candidates, 2 seats, elected citywide

▪ James Bledsoe

▪ Joshua Bradley

▪ Stormie Forte, incumbent

▪ Jonathan Melton, incumbent

▪ Katherine Pate

▪ Reeves Peeler Jr.

▪ Robert Steele

District A, north Raleigh

▪ Mary Black, incumbent

▪ Whitney Hill

▪ Mitchell Silver

District B, northeast Raleigh

▪ Jennifer McCollum

▪ Megan Patton, incumbent

District C, southeast Raleigh

▪ Corey Branch, incumbent

▪ DaQuanta Copeland

▪ Daniel Grant-King

▪ Jared Ollison

▪ Tolulope Omokaiye

▪ Portia Rochelle

District D, southwest Raleigh

▪ Jane Harrison, incumbent

District E, northwest Raleigh

▪ John Cerqueira

▪ Christina Jones, incumbent

Early voting sites & registration

During the early voting period, 22 sites are open for Raleigh voters around Wake County. All sites are listed on WakeVotesEarly.com for locations, maps, and a wait time tracker.

Eligible voters who missed the state’s deadline can still register during early voting with proof of their current residence. This will not be available on Election Day.

All of the polling sites will be open every day of the week

  • Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturdays: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Sundays: 1 to 6 p.m.

The 12 voting sites in Raleigh are

  • Abbott’s Creek Community Center, 9950 Durant Road
  • Barwell Road Community Center, 5857 Barwell Road
  • Green Road Community Center, 4201 Green Road
  • John Chavis Memorial Park Community Center, 505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
  • Lake Lynn Community Center, 7921 Ray Road
  • Laurel Hills Community Center, 3808 Edwards Mill Road
  • NCSU Talley Student Union, 2411 Dunn Ave
  • Optimist Park Community, 5900 Whittier Drive
  • Southeast Raleigh YMCA, 1426 Rock Quarry Road
  • Wake County Board of Elections Office, 1200 N. New Hope Road
  • Wake Tech, Northern Campus, Building E, 7151 Success Way
  • Wake Tech, Southern Campus, Building T, 9101 Fayetteville Road

Sample ballots and voter search

You can check your voter registration status, Election Day polling location, and sample ballot before heading to the polls through the NC State Board of Elections website, ncsbe.gov, or through the Wake County Board of Elections, wake.gov.



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    Profile Image of Kristen Johnson
    Kristen Johnson
    The News & Observer
    919-829-4532
    Kristen Johnson is a local government reporter covering Durham for The News & Observer. She previously covered Cary and western Wake County. Prior to coming home to the Triangle, she reported for The Fayetteville Observer and spent time covering politics and culture in Washington, D.C. She is an alumna of UNC at Charlotte and American University. 
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