Mona Singh, candidate for Wake County commissioner
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Seven candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination for two at-large seats that will expand the seven-person Wake County Board of Commissioners to nine. The winners of the March 3 primary will face Republicans Gary Dale Hartong and Kyle Stogoski in the Nov. 3 general election.
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The News & Observer is publishing questionnaires for candidates on the Wake County Board of Commissioners primary ballot to help voters learn where they stand on important policy issues.
Seven candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination for two at-large seats that will expand the seven-person board to nine. The winners of the March 3 primary will face Republicans Gary Dale Hartong and Kyle Stogoski in the Nov. 3 general election.
The Democratic primary is open to registered Democrats and the more than 380,000 unaffiliated Wake County voters. Early voting runs through Feb. 28 at a dozen locations.
Here are responses from Mona Singh.
- Name: Mona Singh
- Age: 60
- Occupation and employer: Intellectual property consultant, self-employed.
- Education: Ph.D. from University of Texas, at Austin
- Endorsement (limited to three): North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE); NCDP Progressive Caucus Wake Chapter; NCAAT in Action
- Previous political or civic experience (limited to three): Town of Cary Information Services Advisory Board; Wake Dems volunteer- Awards for Mentorship and Biggest Door Knocker.
- Campaign website: MonaForWake.com
- What is your favorite locally owned restaurant in Wake County? Nukkad Indian Street Food in Cary.
- What is a piece of media (podcast, TV series, video game, book) that you recently finished and enjoyed? Heather Cox Richardson’s podcast.
How do you identify your political ideology?
I am a pragmatist, not an ideologue. My values include taking care of the vulnerable (never harm the poor to benefit the rich), using resources wisely and preserving our quality of life as stewards for later generations. A scientific attitude will drive my decisions: understand county services as a system, not in silos; obtain evidence (data and qualitative insights) to conduct deep analyses to identify shortcomings and evaluate prospective solutions to improve our services and how they mesh.
What perspective or life experience would you bring that’s missing from the Wake County Board of Commissioners now?
My life experiences make it clear that I will bring fresh thinking to the Commission.
* Professional expertise: human-centered technical innovation, management (designing metrics and processes for quality, and carrying them).
* Community leadership and volunteering: grassroots political activism and service to the homeless and refugees.
* Personal: I was born and raised in India, studied in Texas, lived and worked in Germany, and have sought cross-cultural interactions here and abroad.
What issue personally motivated you to run for office, and what would you do about it if elected?
Since 2013, I have been a volunteer and community organizer helping the homeless and refugees. I have seen that, increasingly, families with children are vulnerable. The situation became worse after Trump was elected in 2024. I realized that volunteering is valuable but not enough; I ought to participate in policy-making to help the most people by tackling pressing problems in affordability, education, health care and others. I have proven expertise in innovation and management, which is sorely needed in local government. Too often, people like me shy away from public service; as a result, the people in public service have similar experiences. Our current Commissioners are predominantly those “promoted” from town councils and school boards, which is a narrow sample of the talent available in Wake. Imagine you had a drawer full of left gloves; adding two more left gloves won’t help. I will be the complement – the right glove who makes this drawer be the most valuable for Wake County.
Are there specific programs or services Wake County should add? If yes, please provide examples.
I will advocate for enhancing these: *Better data tracking, analysis, and retrospective reviews of County programs. Example: improve tracking and root cause analysis of reports under the nondiscrimination ordinance. *Helping those in need. Example: Increase property tax and utility bill assistance for low-income elderly residents. *Participatory governance. Examples: Transparency regarding expenditures at a more granular level than currently; webtools with which community groups can consider their problems and priorities, and advise on alternative solutions. *Education & outreach about services. Example: Community social workers and volunteers based in each community, building trust with residents and helping them navigate County services, e.g., for mental health and substance abuse, options for low-income people, and language access. *Future proofing. Examples: improved public transit; broadband access for all, e.g., via libraries; proactive upskilling for people at risk of job loss.
Are there specific programs or services that should be cut? If yes, please provide examples.
Our services are already running on shoestring budgets due to state and federal cuts to education and social programs. I will improve county efficiency and effectiveness by systems thinking to break down silos between services. In industry, I improved business operations, increasing net revenues by 33% to over $1 billion in one case, and innovated extensively (136 US patents). I will apply my expertise in data-driven management, qualitative analysis and innovation to focus on the end-to-end experience enjoyed by residents. By thinking of residents (whether elderly, disabled, poor or foreign-born) according to their needs, we can identify how our services ought to mesh together. The judicious use of technology, with investments in upskilling county staff, can improve outcomes and accountability without compromising privacy. Empowered staff can apply their knowledge to improve service quality and save public funds as has been demonstrated in other places.
Is there something Wake County should be doing to support K-12 students and teachers that it’s not doing right now?
We should enhance staffing, especially in special education and behavioral support, and bring our infrastructure up to par. Going beyond the necessities of school infrastructure and qualified staff, one way we can combat inequity in education is by engaging the community. We have a unique opportunity in Wake County to enhance STEAM offerings across our schools by engaging a phenomenal pool of highly skilled people (STEM specialists as well as artists), especially retirees, who want to give back to the community. I will work to measurably advance community participation in education by promoting programs such as Communities in Schools for mentoring students, especially those whose families may lack college-educated adults. Besides a direct payoff in engaging kids in education, these efforts will improve the social fabric in Wake County by bridging communities across cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds and mother tongues.
What specific changes would you recommend to increase access to affordable housing in the county?
I recommend increasing the supply and livability of affordable homes by: *Streamlining the county’s planning processes without compromising on building safety or environmental protections, through improved data gathering and process transparency. *Updating land-use requirements, e.g., parking minimums, which raise construction cost and lead to reduced tree cover. *Reducing administrative fees for affordable homes. Public transit is a great equalizer and goes hand-in-hand with affordable housing. Currently, our affordable housing is inadequately connected to employment centers in Raleigh, which unjustifiably constrains the opportunities for low-income residents. I will also tackle housing affordability. We can improve the quality of life via high-density residences with pedestrian-friendly layouts and convenient access to shared spaces and public transportation. Enhancing casual interactions between neighbors will yield payoffs in social capital and mental health.
What separates you from your opponents and makes you the best choice for Wake County voters?
I bring diversity of experience and expertise as a unique candidate: * Human-centric technology innovator with over 130 US patents, including one litigated against Apple and Samsung. * Expert in data-driven management: managed a product with over $1 billion in revenue (increased by 33% in one year by focusing on user needs and practices). * Led teams in industry, improving processes and products in domains such as healthcare and customer relationship management. * Grass-roots Democratic volunteer since 2008, from Apex to Zebulon, winning annual awards from the Wake County Democratic Party for Top Canvasser and Top Mentor. * A community organizer since 2013 helping the homeless and refugees. * Foreign-born, like many Wake County residents. I am the only candidate whose expertise and experience will complement the school board and town councils background of the others. I will bring new thinking to the Board of Commissioners and take our collective decision-making to the next level.
This story was originally published February 16, 2026 at 3:20 PM.
