Marguerite Creel, 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 Marguerite Creel.
- Name: Marguerite Creel
- Age: 60
- Occupation and employer: Educator, BrainTrust Tutors
- Education: Doctorate, Public Administration; Master, Public Administration; Bachelor of Arts, Political Science
- Endorsements (limited to three): Luis Barreto; Dr. Aisling Winston; Kathy Ong
- Previous political or civic experience (limited to three): Court Administrator; Director, District Attorney’s Office; Government Affairs Coordinator, Public Utility
- Campaign website: www.margueritenc.com
- What is your favorite locally owned restaurant in Wake County? Just one? I am a former restaurateur (New Orleans) and a veritable foodie.
- What is a piece of media (podcast, TV series, video game, book) that you recently finished and enjoyed? “This Fierce People: The Untold Story of America’s Revolutionary War in the South” by Alan Pell Crawford, 2024
How do you identify politically?
Liberal
What perspective or life experience would you bring that’s missing from the Wake County Board of Commissioners now?
As owner of a 20-year small business in the Triangle – 2-time winner of Nickelodeon’s ‘Best Tutoring Company’ – I am intimately familiar with Wake County families’ concerns about raising children in our community. Prior, I spent more than a decade working in county government at the management level. My master’s thesis focused on public transit and transportation demand management strategies for mitigating traffic congestion. My doctoral dissertation was in the area of municipal bonds.
What issue personally motivated you to run for office, and what would you do about it if elected?
Running for office is a natural progression for me as I have been civically involved for a lifetime. I studied local-state government in-depth; worked for several elected officials; and taught future government leaders in our universities. When the opportunity opened up for two new seats on the Board of County Commissioners, I decided this was the right time – a time when I can wholly dedicate myself to my community. I am a professional public administrator and skilled negotiator who can help the Wake community I love to successfully meet the challenges of growth. My areas of focus will be on energy, the elderly and education.
Are there specific programs or services Wake County should add? If yes, please provide examples.
Energy - Dependable, safe, low-cost electrical energy is the lifeblood of our economy and the key to our prosperity. To avoid power outages and grow the energy sector, I propose increasing energy production – both clean and safe; enhancing cybersecurity to guard against foreign manipulation; working with utilities to harden transformers to protect against electromagnetic pulse events and the investment in Wake County electric grid upgrades using federal subsidies. Businesses will benefit and consumers will benefit from low cost, reliable energy.
Are there specific programs or services that should be cut? If yes, please provide examples.
Elderly - To enhance our prosperity and guard against elderly folks losing their homes to property tax increases, I wish to provide financial protection for our seniors. To Improve Wake County seniors’ peace of mind, I propose to waive property taxes on primary residences for those aged 61+. As a public budgeting and finance professional, I will work with the board and county management to make this happen with MOUs with our 12 municipalities to eliminate duplication or gain efficiencies in service delivery; vastly increase intergovernmental revenue; return statewide functions to the state for funding; more efficient budgeting of the General Fund; the hiring and investment in the best public servants for effective resource management; increased sales tax revenue due to economic growth and seniors’ disposable income; and a new citizen donation program to drive accountability. Wake County, as the most populous and seat of state government, must better leverage its assets.
Is there something Wake County should be doing to support K-12 students and teachers that it’s not doing now?
Education - To enhance our prosperity and provide high school students with access to the classes they need, I wish to invest in our children’s education. Wake County provides a substantial supplement to WCPSS to ensure we have excellent schools, but we have to prepare for the future, especially when many careers will become obsolete under AI. Schools, working with parents, need the resources and flexibility to offer a more challenging, interesting and relevant curriculum: on-line, year-round courses for advanced, accelerated learning; in-person, summertime, low teacher-pupil ratios for struggling students; many, many, many more electives – Robotics, Shop, Horticulture, Cooking, Computers, Theater, Oil Painting, Orchestra, Baseball, Finance, Chinese, Asian History, Languages, Allied Health, Manufacturing, Dance, Architecture, Media, Economics . . . additional resources and flexibility to provide pathways to a variety of careers.
What specific changes would you recommend to Wake County increase access to affordable housing?
Social Services/Housing - To enhance our prosperity and care for our most vulnerable populations, our homeless centers need additional, targeted resources to holistically help their residents and to especially address the needs of those suffering from mental disabilities. Homeless foreigners need to return to their nations, with the added support of county specialists who can assist with travel plans and financial incentives from the federal government. I will lobby to protect Wake County residents from electricity increases which have been passed along directly and indirectly via businesses, to help curb inflation and the overall cost of monthly housing. The waiving of property taxes for our seniors will open up possibilities for inter-generational housing and relieve some of the pressure on our housing stock.
What separates you from your opponents and makes you the best choice for Wake County voters?
Of the candidates running for Wake County Commissioner At-Large, I have the most county government experience. My areas of expertise include economic development, emergency management, public transit, budgeting, municipal bonds, criminal justice administration and education. As Government Affairs Coordinator for Nevada Power Company and a former county liaison to multiple town boards, I have expertise in intergovernmental coordination. I was also a member of the university faculty for 10+ years – first at the UNLV School of Public Affairs and then at the UNC School of Government in the Master of Public Administration programs. I chaired the Peace College Political Affairs office. I am a devout Christian and lifelong community volunteer, including Junior League, Assistance League and DAR memberships. I will strive to ensure fair resource allocation and foster democratic participation by listening to those most affected by proposed Wake County Board of Commissioner policies.
This story was originally published February 16, 2026 at 3:30 PM with the headline "Marguerite Creel, candidate for Wake County commissioner."
