Stormie Forte, candidate for Raleigh City Council
The News & Observer is publishing questionnaires for the Raleigh City Council at-large race on the March 3, 2026, primary ballot to help voters learn where the candidates stand on important policy issues,
Six candidates are seeking two at-large seats on the council, including one incumbent. The four candidates with the most votes will move on to the Nov. 3 general election.
City Council races are nonpartisan, and all Raleigh residents can vote in the at-large race.
Here are responses from incumbent Stormie Forte.
- Name: Stormie Forte
- Age: 55
- Occupation and employer: Attorney, Southeastern Healthcare of NC
- Education: UNC-Chapel Hill, BA and MS, North Carolina Central University School of Law, JD
- Endorsement (limited to three): AFL-CIO/Triangle Labor Council; Raleigh Wake Citizens Association (RWCA); Raleigh Police Protective Association/Teamsters Local 391
- Previous political or civic experience (limited to three): Incumbent member of the City Council, previously worked as a campaign consultant, volunteer for several organizations and boards
- Campaign website: Stormie4Raleigh.com
- What is your favorite locally owned restaurant either in the city or within your district? Jack’s Seafood and Soul Food
- What is a piece of media (podcast, TV series, video game, book) that you recently finished and enjoyed? “Pole to Pole” with Will Smith
How do you identify your political ideology?
Democrat.
What perspective or life experience would you bring that’s missing from the Raleigh City Council now?
Because I am the only incumbent in this race, I believe my diverse background and experiences are valuable contributions to the current council.
Do you think the current City Council has put Raleigh on the right path?
Yes. The city of Raleigh is frequently on the Top 5 or 10 places to live, raise a family or start a business. We are a city that attracts large and small businesses. We are also in the Top 5 for consideration of a MLB team. That all speaks to the city moving in the right direction.
Has Raleigh’s growth outpaced its infrastructure?
Yes. The city has some infrastructure challenges that we will continue to work on. We need to add more sidewalks, expand roads and tackle issues with our stormwater system.
Should it be possible to live in Raleigh without owning a car?
Yes. We are making improvements with our transit system. We have plans for four corridors of Bus Rapid Transit. Expanding sidewalks, developing walkable communities and improving efficiency/reliability are several ways to make it easier to live in Raleigh without owning a vehicle.
Do you support Raleigh’s bus rapid transit efforts?
Yes. The Bus Rapid Transit initiatives will improve efficiencies in the bus system. Additionally, those corridors will expand housing opportunities along transit lines. Hopefully, it will incentivize more people to use public transportation.
Does the city need more police officers?
Yes. We need to add more personnel to both our police and fire departments. It is important to make sure they can respond to emergencies in a timely manner and provide quality services to our residents.
Would you vote to increase the salary of the city’s first responders, including police, fire and 911 call takers?
Yes. As a part of our last budget, we gave raises between 9% and 11% for all full-time employees without raising taxes. In order to keep our first responders we will have to keep their salaries competitive with the market.
Is the city doing enough to support small businesses?
Yes. We provide many services to our small business community through our Small Business Development department. There are opportunities for training, grants and partnerships provided through the department.
Do you support Raleigh’s missing middle policies that make it easier to build townhomes, backyard cottages and duplexes? If not, what changes would you make?
Yes. The purpose of missing middle housing is to add gentle density in neighborhoods. As a rapidly growing area, the policies provide opportunities to put more units of housing throughout the city to meet the increasing demand.
On Jan. 20, 2026, the Raleigh City Council approved a rezoning to allow buildings up to 37 stories in parts of North Hills. Would you have voted in favor of this rezoning case?
Yes. The same amount of units of housing could have been built under the zoning that was in place for the property. The rezoning did not add more units. It allowed the project to be built up instead of out. Additionally, the public benefit included in the rezoning was a $1 million contribution to the affordable housing fund and $400,000 contribution for a fire station in the area.
On Oct. 7, 2025, the Raleigh City Council approved a rezoning to allow buildings up to 27 stories at the intersection of Peace and West streets. Would you have voted in favor of this rezoning case?
Yes. The project allows density in a corridor approaching downtown. As we are a rapidly growing area. We need more units of housing to meet the needs of our community.
Are there specific policies you would enact or change to protect the city’s tree canopy?
Yes. We have a vibrant Urban Forestry program. In addition to planting trees on city owned property, we provide trees to private property owners yearly to be planted. This is a program we could expand and offer to private property across the city annually as opposed to targeting specific areas each year.
Are there specific policies you would enact or change to protect the city’s water supply?
No. Our staff does a great job protecting the city’s water supply. Certainly, if there were issues or concerns raised regarding it, we would address those immediately.
Has Raleigh become too expensive for too many?
Yes. Housing affordability remains a challenge in Raleigh. There is data that suggests rental prices for housing has decreased by 7% with the addition of more units in the market. As the supply increases to meet the demand affordability should become more attainable.
Are there specific new strategies you would like the city to implement to increase affordable housing?
No. In 2020 the city passed an affordable housing bond which has been used with our nonprofit and affordable housing partners to add units. CASA, Healing Transitions, DHIC and Habitat for Humanity are a few groups that were able to use proceeds from the bond to put more affordable units of housing in the market.
City leaders are considering an affordable housing bond on the ballot this November. Would you vote in favor of an affordable housing bond?
Yes. The 2020 Affordable Housing bond was instrumental in facilitating the development of several affordable housing projects, such as King’s Ridge with CASA. We have used all of those funds and need to be able to assist nonprofits and affordable housing developers with continuing to add more units in the market.
Would you support expanding the city’s Bringing Neighbors Home pilot program?
Yes. We have to use all available tools to tackle the crisis of homelessness. Data has shown programs such as Bringing Neighbors Home have worked in other municipalities to drastically reduce the number of residents who are living unsheltered in other municipalities.
Are there specific strategies you would like the city to implement to increase market-rate housing?
No. Our focus needs to be on expanding affordable housing opportunities in the community.
What issue personally motivated you to run for office, and what would you do about it if elected?
I have been fortunate to be elected to serve on the city council twice after I was initially appointed to my first term. There is a lot of work to continue as it relates to addressing housing affordability and the escalating unsheltered population. Certainly, supporting another bond this fall is one initiative that will further the work being done to add to the affordable housing supply.
Are there specific programs or services the city should add? If yes, please provide examples.
One area of improvement would be adding more programs for our youth across the city. We have a number of nonprofit organizations that are currently providing opportunities for young people to participate in STEM, art and other programs. The city can provide more support to these groups to expand access for youth, especially those who are in underserved communities.
Are there specific programs or services that should be cut? If yes, please provide examples.
We will have to review all of the programs and services with the projection of a budget shortfall this session. Before cutting programs and services, we should look at vacant positions to see if those should be eliminated as a means to address financial deficiencies.
What specific changes would you make to ensure the safety of bus riders, drivers and community members on buses, at bus stops and at the downtown transit center?
Adding more security officers to the transit station is one measure to address safety concerns. Also making sure bus drivers have adequate equipment to notify supervisors and/or RPD when issues arise on the buses is important. Developing a team of security responders specifically for Go Raleigh may also be an option to ensure the safety of all who are on the bus system.
