News & Observer endorsements: NC Senate primaries in Wake County
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Endorsements 2022
The Editorial Board’s recommendations for the primary elections on Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
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Endorsements: We’re asking about 2020 before we recommend for 2022
Endorsements: Our choices in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate primaries
Endorsements: All of the Charlotte Observer’s choices in the 2022 primaries
How to find the Charlotte Observer’s endorsements for 2022 primary races
How to find the News & Observer’s endorsements for 2022 primary races
NC Senate District 13 (North Raleigh)
Democratic Primary
After two and a half years on the Raleigh City Council, Patrick Buffkin is looking to step up to the state Senate in the newly drawn 13th District where there is no incumbent. If he’s successful, it will be a loss for the City Council, where he has been a thoughtful and progressive member focused on affordable housing, improving parks and expanding infrastructure. If he loses, Raleigh may win by keeping him on the council.
Buffkin, 39, was born in Florida but grew up in Kernersville and has lived in Raleigh for 20 years. He has a degree in business management from NC State University and a law degree from NC Central University.
Voters will have two good choices in this Democratic contest. Lisa Grafstein, 55, is a civil rights lawyer who lists her top issues as economic justice, fair taxes, worker rights, affordable housing and public education.
A native of Amityville, N.Y., Grafstein has lived in Raleigh for 31 years and is making her first bid for elected office. A lawyer for Disability Rights North Carolina, she would bring a fresh perspective and legal experience on civil rights to the state Senate.
On the strength of his City Council service and his potential for leadership at the state level, we recommend Patrick Buffkin.
Republican primary
Jeff Werner, 62, strikes a positive note in his bid for the Republican nomination. He’s not talking about fighting. He’s talking about listening.
Werner, a native of Suffolk County, N.Y. who has lived in Raleigh for 23 years, wants to break through the partisanship that dominates the state Senate these days. “I want to sit down with Democrats. We’ve got to talk to each other,” he said.
Werner supports the tight budgets passed by the state Senate’s Republican majority, but he also wants to improve public schools and treatment for mental illness. He’s learned about efficient spending as a strategic sourcing expert who advises companies on equipment purchases.
Also seeking the nomination is David Bankert, 67, a Pittsburgh native who has lived in Raleigh for seven years. Bankert, who has a degree in electrical engineering and a background in construction and manufacturing. He supports improving mental health care and describes himself as a “compassionate conservative.”
We recommend Jeff Werner.
NC Senate District 18 (Wake Forest)
Republican primary
E.C. Sykes, who lost his 2020 bid for secretary of state against longtime Democratic incumbent Elaine Marshall, is now seeking a state Senate seat with the same conservative zeal. His issues are limited government, “restoring freedoms” after covid vaccine mandates, religious liberty and opposition to abortion. He opposes Medicaid expansion, supports school vouchers and thinks the Leandro school funding ruling violates the North Carolina Constitution.
Sykes, 61, is a Durham native who has lived in Raleigh for 49 years. A graduate of NC State University, he runs a commercial real estate firm and supports tax cuts.
Also seeking the Republican nomination is Dimitry Slabyak, a native of Odessa, Ukraine who recently paused his campaign to raise funds for his beleaguered home country.
Slabyak, 38, has lived in Raleigh since 2017. He is a cyber security expert who started his own company after protecting the computers for a Fortune 100 company.
A newcomer to politics, he said his business experience matters more.
Slabyak supports Medicaid expansion and wants to close the divide between the major parties. “The Democrats and Republicans can’t agree on what time it is,” he said. “I’m looking to change that.”
Sykes is a seasoned candidate and he would provide the Republican Senate majority with another staunchly conservative voice. But Slabyak would bring a younger perspective and an immigrant’s appreciation for U.S freedoms. It would also be helpful for the General Assembly to have a member with expertise in the increasingly important field of cyber security.
We recommend Dimitry Slabyak.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHow we do our endorsements
Members of the combined Charlotte Observer and Raleigh News & Observer editorial boards are conducting interviews and research of candidates in municipal and state elections. The combined board is led by N.C. Opinion Editor Peter St. Onge, who is joined in Raleigh by deputy Opinion editor Ned Barnett and in Charlotte by deputy Opinion editor Paige Masten. Board members also include Observer editor Rana Cash and News & Observer editor Nicole Stockdale.
The editorial board also talks with others who know the candidates and have worked with them. When we’ve completed our interviews and research, we discuss each race and decide on our endorsements.
This story was originally published April 28, 2022 at 4:30 AM.